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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.

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: pass · leaves · stick · land · saw · coach · straw · tube

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. land — a country
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. tube — the underground
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. tube — a container
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. land — to come down
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. land — ground
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pass — a permit
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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