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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.

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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: present · chair · can · roll · hide · date · nail · saw

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. date — the fruit
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. saw — the tool
  6. can — to be able to
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. present — there
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. can — a tin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. can — a tin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. present — a gift
  18. roll — a cake
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. saw — the tool
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. present — the time now
  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