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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 116 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: rash · current · mate · fan · wake · lean · wax · tube

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wax — to grow
  4. tube — a container
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wake — a trail
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rash — a series
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. lean — thin
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. current — of water
  20. tube — the underground
  21. current — electric
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. current — happening now
  24. mate — a friend

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