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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mug — to rob
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spring — a coil
  24. trunk — of a tree

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