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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. game — a match
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. tube — a container
  6. current — of water
  7. present — there
  8. game — wild animals
  9. track — to keep track
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. track — a path
  12. current — happening now
  13. tube — the underground
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. stem — to come from
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. present — a gift
  21. current — electric
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. present — the time now
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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