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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. current — happening now
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. stem — to come from
  9. current — electric
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cue — a hint
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cue — a signal
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. content — the amount
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. chair — a leader
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. current — of water
  24. cue — for pool

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