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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.

Make a worksheet

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: march · racket · hide · content · rest · chair · nail · wake

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. content — the amount
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. content — happy
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. march — music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chair — a leader
  14. march — the month
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rest — a break
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. march — the month

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