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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: straw · chair · lash · staff · present · pit · leaves · perch

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. staff — a stick
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. present — the time now
  9. perch — the fish
  10. staff — employees
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. staff — employees
  13. pit — a hole
  14. present — there
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. present — a gift
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pit — in a race
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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