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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: bear · rule · chair · lean · straw · staff · plane · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. staff — a stick
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rule — a law
  6. staff — employees
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. lean — to bend
  11. land — a country
  12. rule — government
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lean — thin
  15. land — ground
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bear — the animal
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. chair — a leader
  24. staff — employees

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