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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.

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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: bank · nail · spring · rule · squash · wave · pop · current

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pop — to visit
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. current — of water
  9. pop — music
  10. current — electric
  11. bank — of a river
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. squash — to crush
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. current — happening now
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. squash — the vegetable

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