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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.

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 · rule · coach · tube · fine · net · fall

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fall — to drop
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tube — the underground
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. tube — a container
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rule — a law
  13. net — after costs
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fall — the season
  16. rule — government
  17. net — in sport
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. content — the amount
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. content — happy
  24. net — for catching

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