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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.

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: lean · mine · fall · sharp · pitch · chip · cabinet · hide

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pitch — completely
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fall — the season
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lean — thin
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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