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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. face — part of the head
  4. can — to be able to
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. cue — for pool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. can — a tin
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ground — crushed
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. cue — a signal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. march — music
  17. cue — a hint
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. face — to confront
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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