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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: staff · mine · cabinet · march · squash · cap · leaves · tube

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cap — a lid
  4. staff — employees
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. march — the month
  10. cap — of ice
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. march — music
  13. tube — a container
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. staff — a stick
  21. tube — the underground
  22. march — the month
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. squash — to crush

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