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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. can — to be able to
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. shower — rain
  14. fork — in a road
  15. face — to confront
  16. can — a tin
  17. shower — to wash
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. tube — a container
  21. can — a tin
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. branch — a division

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