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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 120 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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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: wind · mate · wake · cabinet · firm · ruler

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. firm — a company
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. firm — steady
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wake — a trail
  16. firm — decided
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mate — to breed

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