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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · cabinet · straw · row · chair · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. chair — a leader
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. object — a thing
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. row — to paddle
  13. object — to protest
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. mine — for digging
  18. row — a line

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