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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
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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: chair · pass · charge · board · straw · face · staff · spell

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. spell — a short time
  3. face — to point toward
  4. staff — a stick
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pass — a permit
  7. board — a committee
  8. spell — letters
  9. face — to confront
  10. staff — employees
  11. spell — magic
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. board — to get on
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chair — a leader
  17. staff — employees
  18. face — part of the head
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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