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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 120 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: lie · cabinet · bark · kick · rash · hand · hide · march

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. kick — in football
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. march — the month
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. march — the month
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bark — to shout
  20. march — music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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