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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lean — thin
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lean — to bend
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. face — part of the head
  14. tube — the underground
  15. key — for a lock
  16. face — to confront
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stock — goods
  19. tube — a container
  20. key — the most important part
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. key — in music
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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