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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. tube — a container
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pop — to visit
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. board — to get on
  9. pop — soda
  10. object — a thing
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pop — music
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. board — a committee
  15. land — a country
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. tube — the underground
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. object — an aim
  20. land — ground
  21. object — to protest
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stem — to come from
  24. land — to come down

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