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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: march · present · cabinet · temple · firm · file · staff · hide

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. file — a tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. firm — a company
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. firm — steady
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. present — the time now
  12. file — a line of people
  13. staff — a stick
  14. file — a document
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. march — music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. present — there
  20. march — the month
  21. staff — employees
  22. firm — decided
  23. march — the month
  24. present — a gift

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