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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: chair · suit · march · mark · key · hand · staff · rest

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. march — music
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — to fit
  9. hand — in cards
  10. march — the month
  11. staff — employees
  12. key — in music
  13. suit — in cards
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rest — a break
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. hand — help
  19. key — the most important part
  20. staff — employees
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mark — a trace
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rest — what's left

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