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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.

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: hide · nail · fine · cabinet · chip · stand · hand · chair

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. hand — help
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stand — to bear
  11. chip — to eat
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fine — high quality
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chair — a leader
  24. hand — in cards

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