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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pit — a hole
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. spring — the season
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. club — a group
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. tube — a container
  14. spring — a coil
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. spring — of water
  17. wake — a trail
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. club — for golf
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. hide — to keep secret

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