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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. file — a tool
  5. current — of water
  6. file — a document
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — a song
  9. file — a line of people
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. track — to keep track
  12. current — electric
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. current — happening now
  15. track — a path
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. last — finally
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stem — to come from
  21. last — to go on
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. last — final

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