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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: ball · firm · face · chair · straw · kid · can · board

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. kid — child
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. firm — steady
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. chair — a leader
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. can — a tin
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. firm — a company
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. face — to point toward
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. kid — to tease
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. firm — decided
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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