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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.

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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: pop · tube · season · swing · ruler · nail · last · leaves

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. season — in sport
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. swing — music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. last — to go on
  11. pop — soda
  12. swing — to play on
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. last — finally
  16. season — of the year
  17. pop — music
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pop — to visit
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. swing — in golf

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