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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.

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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: hide · current · hand · branch · mine · face · safe · cabinet

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. face — to confront
  4. branch — a division
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. current — electric
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. face — to point toward
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. current — happening now
  20. hand — help
  21. current — of water
  22. hand — in cards
  23. face — part of the head
  24. hide — animal skin

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