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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
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: chip · cabinet · can · tube · lie · hide · mug · mine

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mine — for digging
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lie — to recline
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tube — a container
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mug — to rob
  24. chip — for betting

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