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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: tube · mate · staff · cell · lean · bass · leaves · prune

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mate — a partner
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cell — a phone
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. staff — employees
  10. mate — to breed
  11. lean — to bend
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. tube — a container
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mate — a friend
  18. staff — a stick
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bass — low music
  21. lean — thin
  22. staff — employees
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bass — the fish

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