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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: can · hide · leaves · bear · row · rule · pitch · stick

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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. hide — animal skin
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bear — the animal
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. can — a tin
  13. row — a line
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rule — government
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rule — a law
  23. row — to paddle
  24. hide — to keep secret

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