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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: cabinet · mate · deal · bear · safe · rush · hide · cold

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. The water is too ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cold — not warm
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. safe — out of danger

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