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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
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: staff · rush · lie · straw · chair · perch · key · rash

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. key — the most important part
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. key — in music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. key — for a lock
  13. staff — employees
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rash — hasty
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. chair — a leader
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rash — a series
  24. straw — a straw man

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