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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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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 · rush · straw · face · pop · saw · last · lie

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. last — finally
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pop — soda
  5. lie — to recline
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pop — music
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pop — to visit
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. chair — a leader

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