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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 116 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.

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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 · key · season · hand · hide · pop

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. chair — a leader
  4. pop — to visit
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. key — in music
  8. season — in sport
  9. pop — music
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pop — soda
  13. key — for a lock
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. season — of the year
  18. hide — to keep secret

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