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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.

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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: bear · mine · arm · fine · leaves · can · tube · fall

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. tube — a container
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bear — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bear — the animal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fall — to drop
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fall — the season
  22. mine — for digging
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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