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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: leaves · kid · tube · pass · cap · plane · current · toast

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cap — a lid
  3. current — electric
  4. cap — of ice
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. tube — a container
  9. current — of water
  10. plane — a tool
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. current — happening now
  17. kid — child
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. cap — a hat
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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