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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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Word bank
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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 · mark · wake · stock · current · track · kick · spring

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. track — to keep track
  3. current — of water
  4. mark — a trace
  5. spring — of water
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. kick — in football
  10. spring — the season
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stock — shares
  14. track — a song
  15. spring — a coil
  16. current — electric
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. track — a path
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lean — thin
  24. current — happening now

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