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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: mug · face · wind · hide · roll · arm · ground · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mug — a face
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. roll — a cake
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mug — to rob
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ground — crushed
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ground — a position
  17. roll — a list
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mug — a cup
  23. wind — moving air
  24. face — to confront

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