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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: wound · cabinet · mark · chair · can · toast · straw · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. staff — employees
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. toast — bread
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mark — a grade
  10. can — a tin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wound — an injury
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. can — a tin
  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