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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: wave · current · date · mate · bank · row · spring · track

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bank — for money
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. row — a line
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. spring — the season
  8. current — electric
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bank — of a river
  11. track — a path
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. current — happening now
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. current — of water
  17. mate — a friend
  18. date — the fruit
  19. spring — of water
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bank — for money
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. date — on the calendar

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