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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.

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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: staff · last · rush · lie · fine · deal · bowl · chair

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. last — finally
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chair — a leader
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. last — to go on
  10. staff — employees
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rush — hurry
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. last — final
  17. staff — employees
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. fine — all right
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fine — a penalty

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