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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 116 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: chair · ground · hand · bay · current · hide · fine · snap

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ground — crushed
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. chair — a leader
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. current — happening now
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. current — of water
  16. hand — help
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fine — all right
  21. ground — a position
  22. hand — in cards
  23. snap — to click
  24. current — electric

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