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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 · straw · suit · rash · cabinet · nail · file · season

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rash — a series
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. file — a line of people
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. file — a tool
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. season — of the year
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. season — in sport
  18. file — a document
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. sharp — clever
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rash — hasty
  24. sharp — with an edge

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