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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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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: mate · wind · wave · ruler · chest · current

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. current — electric
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. chest — a box
  12. current — happening now
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wind — moving air
  15. current — of water
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. chest — of your body

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