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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.

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 · hide · straw · can · cue · mug · bank · lie

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mug — to rob
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. content — happy
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mug — a face
  7. lie — to recline
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. content — the amount
  12. bank — of a river
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — to be able to
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bank — for money
  18. can — a tin
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bank — for money
  22. cue — a signal
  23. can — a tin
  24. straw — dry grass

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