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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · bound · nail · season · mark · straw · fine · deal

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bound — tied together
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bound — obliged
  9. season — in sport
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mark — a trace
  12. deal — to handle
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bound — certain
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fine — high quality
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fine — all right
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com