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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 120 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
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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: fall · hide · suit · capital · chair · sharp · mug · mine

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. sharp — clever
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. capital — money
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. capital — a city
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. fall — the season
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mine — for digging
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. chair — a leader
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. fall — to drop
  24. sharp — exactly

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