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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: snap · roll · current · track · pass · rest · trunk · ball

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rest — a break
  6. roll — a cake
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. ball — a great time
  9. current — electric
  10. ball — a dance
  11. current — happening now
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rest — what's left
  14. track — a path
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. current — of water
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. roll — a list
  23. snap — to click
  24. pass — to spend time

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