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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: chip · mate · cell · saw · staff · hide · cabinet · degree

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. degree — from a university
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cell — a phone
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. degree — temperature
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chip — to eat
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chip — for betting
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mate — a friend
  16. staff — employees
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. degree — an amount
  20. cell — in biology
  21. staff — employees
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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