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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: toast · lean · current · wax · tube · stand · trunk · pass

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. current — of water
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pass — a permit
  7. current — happening now
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. stand — to bear
  10. lean — thin
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. tube — a container
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. current — electric
  21. lean — to bend
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stand — for spectators

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