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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: lean · current · track · rush · scale · tear · toast · present

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. current — happening now
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. present — a gift
  8. track — a song
  9. scale — in music
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. present — there
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. scale — size or range
  15. current — electric
  16. present — the time now
  17. track — to keep track
  18. toast — bread
  19. tear — from crying
  20. current — of water
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. lean — to bend
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rush — hurry

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