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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.

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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: date · firm · can · coach · tube · lie · content · hide

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. tube — the underground
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. can — to be able to
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. lie — to recline
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. content — happy
  11. can — a tin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. can — a tin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. firm — decided
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. firm — steady
  22. date — the fruit
  23. tube — a container
  24. coach — a trainer

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