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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 · lean · rash · current · leaves · date · ground · toast

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ground — the earth
  3. current — happening now
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. current — electric
  6. ground — crushed
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rash — hasty
  9. date — the fruit
  10. tube — a container
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. ground — a position
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rash — a series
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lean — to bend
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. toast — bread
  24. current — of water

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