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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.

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: cabinet · stick · net · leaves · foot · tube · lean · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lean — to bend
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. saw — the tool
  8. net — in sport
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. tube — a container
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lean — thin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. net — after costs
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. tube — the underground
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. net — for catching
  24. leaves — lets stay

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