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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 116 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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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: deal · object · wind · cell · race · hide · cabinet · stand

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. object — to protest
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. object — a thing
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wind — moving air
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. hide — to keep secret

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