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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: bank · sharp · current · bear · rule · land · wake · track

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bear — the animal
  4. current — electric
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. land — ground
  9. bank — of a river
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. land — to come down
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bank — for money
  15. current — happening now
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bank — for money
  18. rule — a law
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. land — a country
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rule — government
  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