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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 · board · stick · drill · hide · net · chair · fan

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. drill — army training
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. net — for catching
  10. chair — a leader
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. board — to get on
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. board — a committee
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chair — a professorship

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