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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: wind · mine · track · wave · squash · mark · current · fan

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. squash — the sport
  3. current — of water
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mine — for digging
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. current — happening now
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wind — moving air
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. squash — to crush
  24. current — electric

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