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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. branch — a division
  6. mate — a friend
  7. tube — the underground
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. present — there
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. present — a gift
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. tube — a container
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. present — the time now
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mate — a partner
  23. plane — a tool
  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