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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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. spring — the season
  10. cap — a hat
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cap — of ice
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fall — to drop
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. spring — of water
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cap — a lid

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