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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: board · leaves · chair · firm · saw · straw · vault · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. vault — a safe
  3. firm — decided
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. board — to get on
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. firm — a company
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. board — a committee
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. firm — steady
  23. chair — a leader
  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