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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: plane · game · nail · track · lean · wake · current · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. present — the time now
  4. track — a path
  5. current — electric
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lean — thin
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. track — a song
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. present — a gift
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. game — wild animals
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. game — a match

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