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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 120 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: track · swing · wake · current · saw · stem · rash · face

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rash — a series
  3. wake — a trail
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stem — to come from
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. swing — in golf
  9. track — a path
  10. face — to confront
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. track — a song
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. current — electric
  23. rash — hasty
  24. saw — the tool

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