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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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 — of a tree
  2. plane — a tool
  3. spring — the season
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fork — in a road
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. tube — the underground
  12. craft — a skill
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. craft — boats
  16. spring — a coil
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. tube — a container
  21. spring — of water
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. branch — a division
  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