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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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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 · chair · ruler · mate · chest · fine

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fine — all right
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mate — to breed
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chest — a box
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mate — a friend
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fine — high quality
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mate — a partner

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