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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: kid · track · suit · cabinet · board · saw · chest · hide

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. track — a song
  5. kid — to tease
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. track — a path
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. board — to get on
  12. chest — a box
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kid — child
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. track — to keep track
  21. chest — of your body
  22. suit — in cards
  23. chest — of your body
  24. suit — to fit

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