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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
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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: mark · leaves · chair · straw · stick · file · ground · fine

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mark — a grade
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. chair — a leader
  8. ground — crushed
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. ground — the earth
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. ground — a position
  14. fine — high quality
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. file — a document
  19. fine — all right
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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