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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: wind · nail · tube · face · track · stem · last · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. tube — the underground
  3. face — part of the head
  4. track — a path
  5. face — to point toward
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. last — finally
  8. face — to confront
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. current — electric
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. current — of water
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. last — to go on
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stem — to come from
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wind — moving air
  24. last — final

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