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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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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: cabinet · cell · bear · hide · pass · straw

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cell — a phone
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cell — in biology
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bear — the animal

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