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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: track · lash · key · current · lean · root · wake · saw

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. current — happening now
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. saw — the tool
  6. root — of a word
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. saw — the tool
  11. current — of water
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. track — a path
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. current — electric
  17. root — of a plant
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. root — the cause
  21. track — to keep track
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. key — in music
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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