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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pop — soda
  4. tube — a container
  5. pop — music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rest — a break
  12. pop — to visit
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tube — the underground
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fall — the season
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bowl — to roll

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