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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.

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: foot · tube · tear · bass · rock · capital · mine · leaves

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. tube — a container
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bass — the fish
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mine — for digging
  16. tube — the underground
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. tear — from crying
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rock — music

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