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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: staff · lean · tear · jam · chair · fork · rule · mug

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mug — a cup
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mug — a face
  7. tear — to rip
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. lean — thin
  12. rule — government
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rule — a law
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mug — to rob
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. chair — a leader
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fork — in a road
  22. staff — employees
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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