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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: wave · safe · lean · cell · current · ruler · rash · chest

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lean — to bend
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cell — in biology
  8. current — happening now
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chest — a box
  11. rash — a series
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rash — hasty
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. current — electric
  22. lean — thin
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cell — in a prison

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