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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 · kid · season · plane · last · leaves · current · row

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. kid — child
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. season — in sport
  6. last — to go on
  7. current — of water
  8. row — to paddle
  9. kid — to tease
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. row — a line
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. current — electric
  20. last — finally
  21. current — happening now
  22. last — final
  23. tube — the underground
  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