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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. land — a country
  3. tube — a container
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. dip — to sink
  21. drill — army training
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mouse — for a computer

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