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

Word bank: lean · current · mark · wake · cap · pound

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cap — a hat
  5. current — electric
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lean — to bend
  8. current — happening now
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. current — of water
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lean — thin

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