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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: board · chest · staff · chair · plane · mine · rush · firm

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. board — to get on
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. board — a committee
  8. staff — employees
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. staff — a stick
  11. rush — hurry
  12. staff — employees
  13. firm — a company
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. chair — a leader
  18. firm — steady
  19. plane — a tool
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mine — for digging
  22. chest — a box
  23. firm — decided
  24. rush — to hurry

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