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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: foot · hide · fine · drill · chair · sharp · lash · cold

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cold — an illness
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. drill — the tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. drill — army training
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fine — all right
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cold — not warm
  13. sharp — clever
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. foot — a measure
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. drill — a practice
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. chair — a leader
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fine — high quality

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