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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 120 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: lean · pit · tube · plane · face · current · bass · cue

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bass — the fish
  6. face — part of the head
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. face — to point toward
  10. plane — a tool
  11. current — of water
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. current — electric
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lean — thin
  16. tube — a container
  17. face — to confront
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bass — low music
  23. current — happening now
  24. cue — a signal

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