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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: bear · craft · saw · rash · stand · rest · season · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. craft — boats
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. season — of the year
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rest — what's left
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rest — a break
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. season — in sport
  18. chair — a leader
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. craft — a skill

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