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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
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: stand · cabinet · straw · object · swing · mine · chair · march

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. march — music
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. swing — music
  11. stand — to bear
  12. object — an aim
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. object — a thing
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. swing — to play on
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. mine — for digging
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. object — to protest

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