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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: leaves · bowl · face · deal · cap · key · net · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. cap — of ice
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cap — a lid
  13. key — the most important part
  14. face — to confront
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. key — in music
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. deal — to handle
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cap — a hat
  24. net — after costs

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