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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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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: bank · plane · hide · can · clip · tube · cue · content

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. content — happy
  4. can — a tin
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. clip — a video
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. content — the amount
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. clip — to cut
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. bank — for money
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bank — of a river
  19. can — a tin
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bank — for money
  24. cue — a signal

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