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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: rock · leaves · season · current · lean · dip · pass · wound

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. current — electric
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wound — an injury
  8. season — of the year
  9. lean — thin
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rock — music
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. current — of water
  20. season — in sport
  21. current — happening now
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wound — an injury

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