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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: tube · mate · land · spring · press · nail · march · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. press — newspapers
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. spring — of water
  8. march — the month
  9. land — ground
  10. press — a publisher
  11. march — the month
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. press — to push
  14. march — music
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. land — to come down
  20. mate — a friend
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. land — a country

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