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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: cap · pound · hide · lie · cabinet · mug · pass · mine

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mug — a face
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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