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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 120 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: track · straw · pound · current · ruler · wake · content · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. current — happening now
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. track — a path
  7. pound — a weight
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wake — a trail
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. content — the amount
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. track — a song
  19. tear — to rip
  20. content — happy
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wake — before a funeral

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