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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
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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: face · pitcher · bore · hide · suit · cue · cabinet · cap

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bore — to drill
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cue — for pool
  19. face — to confront
  20. suit — in cards
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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