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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: mouse · ruler · track · trunk · lean · snap · cap · current

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. current — happening now
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. current — electric
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. track — a path
  18. cap — of ice
  19. current — of water
  20. snap — to click
  21. cap — a lid
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mouse — the animal
  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