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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tube — the underground
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. file — a document
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. file — a tool
  14. march — music
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. tube — a container
  20. march — the month
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. march — the month
  24. plane — an aircraft

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