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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 124 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: cabinet · hide · chip · rock · deal · kid · mark · wound

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chip — for betting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mark — a grade
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chip — to eat

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