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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.

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: cell · current · date · lean · wound · toast · net · track

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. current — of water
  3. date — the fruit
  4. toast — bread
  5. cell — a phone
  6. current — electric
  7. cell — in biology
  8. net — after costs
  9. lean — to bend
  10. track — a path
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. current — happening now
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. wound — an injury
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. net — for catching
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. track — a song
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. lean — thin
  23. net — in sport
  24. track — to keep track

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