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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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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: rule · current · stick · wave · firm · rest · degree · wake

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. firm — a company
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rule — a law
  5. degree — from a university
  6. current — of water
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rule — government
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rest — what's left
  15. firm — decided
  16. current — happening now
  17. degree — temperature
  18. firm — steady
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rest — a break
  22. current — electric
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wave — with your hand

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