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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.

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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: sharp · mug · hide · bank · rash · ground · cabinet · kid

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rash — hasty
  4. kid — child
  5. mug — to rob
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mug — a cup
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mug — a face
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ground — a position
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rash — a series

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