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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.

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: suit · leaves · race · cabinet · spring · march · kick · tube

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. tube — the underground
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. spring — the season
  9. tube — a container
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. suit — to fit
  12. race — humankind
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. march — music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. race — a contest
  17. march — the month
  18. kick — in football
  19. spring — of water
  20. march — the month
  21. race — the arms race
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. suit — in cards
  24. spring — a coil

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