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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 120 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: last · can · saw · season · rule · chair · coach · straw

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. season — of the year
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chair — a leader
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. last — final
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. can — a tin
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. saw — the tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. season — in sport
  24. rule — government

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