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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 116 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. tube — a container
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hand — in cards
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. staff — a stick
  10. hand — help
  11. lean — to bend
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. staff — employees
  15. tube — the underground
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. staff — employees
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lean — thin
  21. fall — the season
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. hand — part of the body

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