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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: wound · mark · tear · game · jam · plane · tube · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. tear — to rip
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tube — a container
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wound — an injury
  14. game — a match
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. tear — from crying
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lean — to bend
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. tube — the underground

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