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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · cue · straw · stock · face · ruler · object · row

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. sharp — clever
  6. face — part of the head
  7. row — to paddle
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. face — to point toward
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. face — to confront
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. object — an aim
  20. row — a line
  21. cue — for pool
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. object — a thing
  24. stock — shares

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