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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. saw — the tool
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cap — a lid
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. branch — a division
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cap — of ice
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. saw — the tool
  15. tube — the underground
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cap — a hat
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. squash — the sport
  22. lie — to recline
  23. squash — to crush
  24. tube — a container

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