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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: cap · leaves · rush · tube · mine · branch · fine · trunk

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. fine — high quality
  12. tube — a container
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cap — of ice
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fine — all right
  24. branch — of a bank

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