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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: spring · wound · wake · bear · suit · fine · saw · ruler

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. suit — clothes
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. suit — to fit
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fine — high quality
  17. spring — of water
  18. fine — all right
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spring — the season
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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