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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wave · current · drill · present · track · straw · cap · degree

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cap — of ice
  3. present — a gift
  4. track — a path
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. present — the time now
  13. track — to keep track
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. degree — temperature
  16. current — happening now
  17. present — there
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cap — a lid
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. current — electric
  22. drill — army training
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. track — a song

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