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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · tube · current · lash · kid · staff · march · craft

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. staff — employees
  3. track — to keep track
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. current — electric
  7. staff — a stick
  8. tube — the underground
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. march — the month
  11. staff — employees
  12. craft — a skill
  13. march — the month
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. kid — to tease
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. march — music
  18. track — a path
  19. craft — boats
  20. tube — a container
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. craft — a handicraft

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