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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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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: rock · track · wake · ruler · branch · lean · current · band

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. current — electric
  3. wake — a trail
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rock — music
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rock — a stone
  9. lean — to bend
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. track — a song
  12. band — a music group
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. track — a path
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. branch — a division
  24. band — a ring

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