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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.

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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: tube · stick · fall · land · mate · leaves · rule · board

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fall — to drop
  3. board — to get on
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. tube — a container
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. mate — a partner
  14. land — a country
  15. rule — government
  16. tube — the underground
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rule — a law
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. board — a committee

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