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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · arm · kick · leaves · tube · season · face · branch

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. branch — a division
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. tube — a container
  14. season — of the year
  15. face — to confront
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kick — in football
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. face — part of the head
  23. season — in sport
  24. arm — a part of something

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