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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: deal · present · mouse · hide · mark · chest · cabinet · pop

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pop — soda
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. chest — of your body
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chest — a box
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mark — a grade
  16. present — there
  17. pop — music
  18. present — the time now
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. present — a gift
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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