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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: wake · current · ruler · drill · leaves · rock · coach · bear

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. current — happening now
  3. bear — the animal
  4. drill — army training
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. current — electric
  7. drill — the tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rock — music
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. current — of water
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rock — a stone
  22. drill — a practice
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wake — a trail

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