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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
468
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: leaves · degree · saw · sharp · straw · present · rule · rock

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. degree — an amount
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. rock — music
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rule — government
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rock — a stone
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. present — there
  18. degree — temperature
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. saw — the tool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rule — a law

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