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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: wave · coach · wind · current · ruler · stick · cold · net

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wind — moving air
  4. net — for catching
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. current — of water
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. current — happening now
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. current — electric
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. net — after costs
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. cold — not warm
  24. net — in sport

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