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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: game · fall · rest · rock · straw · track · wax · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. game — wild animals
  3. track — a path
  4. rest — what's left
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. fall — the season
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. current — happening now
  11. rest — a break
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rock — music
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. track — a song
  18. rock — a stone
  19. current — electric
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wax — to grow

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