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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tube — the underground
  5. branch — a division
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. face — to confront
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. scale — in music
  12. pit — in a race
  13. tube — a container
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pit — a hole
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. face — part of the head

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