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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: rash · lean · current · wake · plane · stem · scale · race

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. current — electric
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lean — thin
  6. race — humankind
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rash — hasty
  9. race — a contest
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. current — happening now
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. scale — size or range
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. current — of water
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. scale — in music

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