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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 120 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. can — to be able to
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. game — wild animals
  10. plane — a tool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. march — music
  14. branch — a division
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. march — the month
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. march — the month
  23. can — a tin
  24. bear — the animal

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