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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · object · craft · squash · ground · nail · hide · present

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ground — a position
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. present — a gift
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. squash — to crush
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. present — there
  10. object — to protest
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. craft — boats
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. object — a thing
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. chair — a leader
  23. craft — a skill
  24. present — the time now

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