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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: wake · wave · chip · content · current · mine · track · plane

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. current — electric
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. track — a song
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. track — a path
  12. plane — a tool
  13. content — happy
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. content — the amount
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mine — for digging
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. current — happening now
  23. chip — for betting
  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