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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. march — the month
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fall — to drop
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. key — in music
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. fall — the season
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. plane — a tool
  17. tube — the underground
  18. march — music
  19. tube — a container
  20. pound — a weight
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pound — for dogs

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