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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.

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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: lean · tube · mug · rock · plane · net · foot · rush

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rock — music
  5. tube — a container
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mug — a face
  18. plane — a tool
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. net — in sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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