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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 · date · bear · object · straw · cell · track · can

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cell — in biology
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. track — a song
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. can — a tin
  7. track — to keep track
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. track — a path
  10. date — the fruit
  11. can — to be able to
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bear — the animal
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. bear — the animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. can — a tin
  24. bear — to put up with

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