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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. kick — in football
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mine — for digging
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mate — a friend
  18. tube — a container

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