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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: staff · season · board · rash · fall · firm · ruler · straw

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fall — to drop
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rash — a series
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. board — to get on
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fall — the season
  14. board — a committee
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fall — to drop
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. staff — employees
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. firm — a company
  21. rash — hasty
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. staff — employees
  24. firm — decided

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