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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 116 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 · game · firm · ruler · wound · straw · hide · rush

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. game — a match
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. firm — decided
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — steady
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wound — an injury
  20. firm — a company
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. sharp — clever
  24. hide — animal skin

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