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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.

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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 · row · current · track · file · hide · wound · can

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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 — electric
  2. track — a path
  3. can — a tin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. track — to keep track
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. row — a line
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. current — of water
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a tool
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wound — an injury
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a document
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. current — happening now
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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