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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — happy
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. content — the amount
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stem — to come from
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. net — after costs
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. net — for catching
  20. rush — hurry
  21. net — in sport
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. leaves — of a tree

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