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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: current · rest · game · lie · tube · track · fan · wind

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. track — to keep track
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rest — a break
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. track — a song
  12. rest — what's left
  13. game — a match
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. track — a path
  24. lie — an untruth

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