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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cabinet · arm · fine · bay · chest · hide · perch · rush

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chest — a box
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fine — all right
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. chest — of your body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rush — hurry
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. 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