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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. track — a path
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bank — of a river
  4. current — electric
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mate — a friend
  11. plane — a tool
  12. track — to keep track
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bat — the animal
  18. track — a song
  19. current — happening now
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bank — for money
  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