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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 116 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: rule · suit · band · content · pass · hide · mug · file

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. content — happy
  5. mug — to rob
  6. suit — in cards
  7. band — a music group
  8. rule — a law
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mug — a cup
  12. file — a line of people
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mug — a face
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rule — government
  19. band — a ring
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. content — the amount
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. pass — to succeed

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