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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cap — a lid
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cap — of ice
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. tube — a container
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tube — the underground
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. roll — a list
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cap — a hat
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. roll — a cake
  24. leaves — to go away

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