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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 · bear · wind · drill · land · pass · track · can

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wind — moving air
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. can — a tin
  7. bear — the animal
  8. land — ground
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. track — a path
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. drill — army training
  16. can — a tin
  17. track — to keep track
  18. current — electric
  19. land — a country
  20. can — to be able to
  21. track — a song
  22. wind — moving air
  23. land — to come down
  24. pass — a permit

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