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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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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: current · plane · wake · cue · present · fan · track · content

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cue — a signal
  3. present — the time now
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — happening now
  8. cue — a hint
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. current — electric
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. present — there
  16. track — a path
  17. plane — a tool
  18. present — a gift
  19. wake — a trail
  20. current — of water
  21. cue — for pool
  22. content — the amount
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. fan — to cool the air

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