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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: staff · club · fine · straw · saw · stand · row · hide

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. club — for dancing
  4. row — a line
  5. fine — all right
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. club — for golf
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. saw — the tool
  10. club — a group
  11. staff — employees
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stand — to bear
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. staff — a stick
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. staff — employees

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