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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: face · hide · trunk · cold · cabinet · lie · chip · jam

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. chip — for betting
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chip — to eat
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. face — to confront
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. face — to point toward
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cold — not warm
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. cold — an illness
  24. chip — in a computer

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