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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. game — a match
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. march — the month
  6. sharp — clever
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. face — part of the head
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. branch — a division
  12. game — wild animals
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chair — a leader
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. tube — a container
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. face — to confront
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. march — music
  24. face — to point toward

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