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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
468
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 · rash · capital · hide · safe · stick · bat · mug

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mug — a face
  6. bat — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. capital — a city
  9. mug — a cup
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rash — a series
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rash — hasty
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mug — to rob
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. capital — money

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