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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 120 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: present · straw · pound · chair · chest · staff · mouse · mark

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. present — the time now
  5. chest — a box
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. staff — a stick
  9. present — a gift
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mark — a trace
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. present — there
  20. staff — employees
  21. pound — a weight
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. staff — employees
  24. mouse — 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