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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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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: stick · last · fine · chip · ruler · hand · squash · sharp

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. sharp — clever
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hand — help
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. last — finally
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fine — all right
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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