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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.

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: rash · hide · fork · rush · chair · deal · ground · fan

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. deal — to handle
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. ground — the earth
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rash — hasty
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rash — a series
  22. ground — a position
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. hide — animal skin

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