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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: staff · hide · sharp · spring · cabinet · rash · mine · object

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rash — hasty
  9. object — an aim
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. staff — a stick
  12. object — a thing
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rash — a series
  15. spring — a coil
  16. staff — employees
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. spring — of water
  22. object — to protest
  23. staff — employees
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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