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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
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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: toast · straw · lie · rash · chair · game · ground · jam

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rash — hasty
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. toast — bread
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rash — a series
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. lie — to recline
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. ground — the earth
  24. chair — a leader

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