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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: rest · row · current · lean · track · press · firm · band

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. firm — steady
  3. row — to paddle
  4. firm — decided
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lean — to bend
  7. band — a ring
  8. press — to push
  9. row — a line
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. rest — a break
  13. press — a publisher
  14. firm — a company
  15. track — a path
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. current — of water
  20. rest — what's left
  21. band — a music group
  22. press — newspapers
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. track — a song

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