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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: lean · jam · rash · date · wax · patient · current · pitch

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. date — the fruit
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. current — happening now
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lean — thin
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — a series
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rash — on the skin

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