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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: tube · roll · jam · plane · cap · ground · leaves · lean

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. lean — thin
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. plane — a tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lean — to bend
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. roll — a cake
  11. tube — a container
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. ground — the earth
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. tube — the underground
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. roll — a list
  24. tube — in a tire

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