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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: saw · tube · leaves · pop · land · cell · clip · staff

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pop — soda
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. land — ground
  6. tube — a container
  7. cell — a phone
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. land — a country
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pop — to visit
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. clip — for paper
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. cell — in biology
  17. saw — the tool
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pop — music
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. staff — employees
  22. land — to come down
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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