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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.

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: cabinet · chair · vault · fan · straw · bore · saw · land

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. chair — a leader
  4. land — ground
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bore — to tire
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. vault — a safe
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. land — a country
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bore — to drill
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. land — to come down
  24. saw — the tool

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