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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: coach · chair · straw · cabinet · deal · present · fan · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. present — the time now
  3. chair — a leader
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. last — to go on
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. present — a gift
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. last — final
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. present — there
  24. coach — a trainer

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