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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: content · suit · mug · cabinet · court · cold · hide · fall

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mug — to rob
  4. content — the amount
  5. mug — a cup
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fall — to drop
  9. court — of a king
  10. mug — a face
  11. court — for sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. court — of law
  16. fall — the season
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — not warm
  19. content — happy
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cabinet — ministers

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