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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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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: tube · hide · chair · wind · toast · bowl · leaves · last

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. toast — bread
  11. last — to go on
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. tube — the underground
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wind — moving air
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. chair — a leader
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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