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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: stick · straw · rash · deal · mate · charge · chair · leaves

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. charge — in control
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rash — a series
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rash — hasty
  15. charge — electricity
  16. chair — a leader
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. charge — a price
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. deal — to handle

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