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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: track · cell · bore · current · row · leaves · bulb · roll

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bore — to tire
  4. row — a line
  5. track — a song
  6. current — electric
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bulb — for light
  10. roll — a list
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cell — a phone
  13. track — a path
  14. roll — a cake
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bore — to drill
  22. row — to paddle
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bulb — of a plant

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