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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.

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: safe · last · straw · rock · chair · staff · fan · plane

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. staff — employees
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. last — final
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chair — a leader
  12. last — finally
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rock — a stone
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rock — music
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. staff — employees
  23. last — to go on
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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