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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: mate · cue · hide · clip · cabinet · mouse · staff · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mate — to breed
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mate — a friend
  5. clip — a video
  6. content — happy
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mate — a partner
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cue — a signal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cue — a hint
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. staff — employees
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mouse — the animal

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