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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: hide · mate · content · stand · staff · mouse · race · rock

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rock — music
  3. staff — a stick
  4. content — the amount
  5. race — a contest
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. content — happy
  13. staff — employees
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stand — to bear
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. staff — employees
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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