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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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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 · content · cell · stand · firm · cold · leaves · calf

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. firm — steady
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stand — to bear
  8. content — the amount
  9. firm — decided
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cold — not warm
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. firm — a company
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. content — happy
  24. cold — an illness

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