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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 120 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: content · file · lean · hide · capital · march · mouse · firm

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. file — a tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. firm — decided
  7. capital — money
  8. content — the amount
  9. lean — thin
  10. content — happy
  11. firm — a company
  12. march — the month
  13. file — a document
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. march — the month
  17. firm — steady
  18. file — a line of people
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. march — music
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. capital — a city
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. capital — a big letter

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