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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: hide · cell · pop · object · stick · cabinet

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. object — a thing
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. object — an aim
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cell — a phone
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pop — soda
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pop — to visit
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. object — to protest
  18. cabinet — ministers

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