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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.

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: cabinet · pitcher · content · stand · leaves · pit · hide · clip

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. content — happy
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pit — a hole
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. clip — a video
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. content — the amount
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pit — in a race

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