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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 124 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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Word bank
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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 · object · pass · race · wound · lean · fan · straw

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. race — a contest
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lean — thin
  18. wound — an injury
  19. sharp — clever
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. race — humankind
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pass — a permit
  24. race — the arms race

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