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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
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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: lean · cabinet · hide · charge · cap · firm · land · racket

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. land — a country
  4. land — ground
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. land — to come down
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. charge — electricity
  10. firm — steady
  11. cap — a lid
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. charge — in control
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lean — thin
  17. charge — a price
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lean — to bend
  20. firm — decided
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. firm — a company

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