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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.

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: rest · cabinet · staff · can · board · saw · straw · arm

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. staff — employees
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. staff — employees
  11. board — to get on
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. saw — the tool
  20. can — a tin
  21. saw — the tool
  22. board — a committee
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. staff — a stick

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