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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. 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. hand — in cards
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hand — help
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. 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