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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
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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: arm · tear · rush · content · capital · leaves · rule · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. tear — from crying
  7. content — happy
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rule — government
  10. content — the amount
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tear — from crying
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rule — a law
  18. tear — to rip
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. capital — a city
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. capital — money
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. content — videos and posts

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