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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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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 · pound · bank · mouse · season · hide · face · last

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. season — of the year
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. last — to go on
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. last — finally
  8. season — in sport
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pound — a weight
  11. face — to confront
  12. last — final
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bank — of a river
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bank — for money
  19. face — part of the head
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — ministers

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