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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: chair · pound · rest · straw · bay · perch · cabinet · bear

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rest — what's left
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rest — a break
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pound — a weight
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bear — the animal

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