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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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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: rule · staff · chair · sharp · bear · jam · straw · deal

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. staff — a stick
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rule — government
  7. bear — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. rule — a law
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. chair — a leader
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. sharp — clever
  20. staff — employees
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. jam — a tight spot

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