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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: saw · hide · rush · cabinet · board · chip · mug · temple

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mug — to rob
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mug — a face
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rush — hurry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. board — a committee
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. board — to get on

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