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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hand · hide · saw · mark · cabinet · face

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hand — help
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. face — to point toward
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront

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