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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: tube · face · cabinet · fine · leaves · stick · nail · march

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. tube — a container
  4. march — music
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — to point toward
  9. fine — high quality
  10. march — the month
  11. fine — all right
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tube — the underground
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. march — the month
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. face — to confront
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. tube — in a tire

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