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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 · shower · mark · hide · sharp · present · arm · board

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mark — a trace
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. sharp — clever
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. present — there
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. shower — to wash
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mark — a grade
  17. board — to get on
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. shower — rain
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. board — a committee
  24. mark — to pay attention

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