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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.

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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: firm · wind · chair · cabinet · hand · ground · suit · nail

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. suit — to fit
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. firm — decided
  8. ground — crushed
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wind — moving air
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. ground — a position
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wind — moving air
  16. hand — help
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. firm — steady
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ground — the earth
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. firm — a company
  24. suit — 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