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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: tube · current · row · straw · nail · bark · track · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. track — to keep track
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. track — a song
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. current — electric
  10. tube — a container
  11. track — a path
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. current — happening now
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. row — a line
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tube — the underground
  19. current — of water
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. row — to paddle

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