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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: fine · fan · file · kid · suit · present · hide · chair

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. kid — to tease
  6. suit — to fit
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. present — the time now
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. suit — in cards
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. chair — a leader
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. file — a line of people
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. present — there
  20. fine — all right
  21. file — a document
  22. kid — child
  23. present — a gift
  24. file — a tool

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