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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.

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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: object · hand · straw · chip · hide · chair

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. object — a thing
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. hand — help
  12. object — an aim
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. object — to protest
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. chair — a leader

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