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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fall — to drop
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. charge — in control
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fall — the season
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fall — to drop
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. scale — in music
  17. tube — a container
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. scale — for weighing

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