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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: pass · trunk · squash · current · tear · last · rock · scale

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. squash — to crush
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rock — a stone
  10. tear — from crying
  11. last — final
  12. last — to go on
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rock — music
  16. squash — the sport
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. current — of water
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pass — a permit
  24. scale — in music

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