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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · season · staff · chair · file · face · pit · lean

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. file — a tool
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. face — to point toward
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. face — part of the head
  14. season — in sport
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. season — of the year
  19. file — a document
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. file — a line of people
  24. face — to confront

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