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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
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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: saw · deal · last · mate · pop · cabinet · tear · hide

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. mate — a friend
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pop — soda
  8. last — to go on
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. last — final
  12. mate — a partner
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mate — to breed
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pop — music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. last — finally
  23. pop — to visit
  24. tear — from crying

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