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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
468
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: wave · bass · trunk · current · tear · ruler · game · press

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. current — electric
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. current — happening now
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bass — low music
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bass — the fish
  21. current — of water
  22. press — to push
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. tear — to rip

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