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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: hide · present · chair · wake · ruler · ground

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ground — a position
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. present — there
  9. ground — the earth
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. ground — crushed
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ruler — for measuring

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