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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.

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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
468
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 · capital · cue · key · mug · present · file · cabinet

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. mug — a face
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — there
  5. cue — for pool
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. file — a document
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mug — a cup
  11. present — a gift
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cue — a signal
  14. file — a tool
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. present — the time now
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. capital — money
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mug — to rob
  22. file — a line of people
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. key — the most important part

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