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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cap — of ice
  5. tube — a container
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cap — a hat
  9. last — to go on
  10. tube — the underground
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. last — finally
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. fall — to drop
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cap — a lid
  20. band — a ring
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. last — final
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. band — a music group

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