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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: wind · current · spell · ruler · safe · bank · pound · cold

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. current — of water
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spell — magic
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bank — of a river
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cold — not warm
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spell — letters
  17. current — happening now
  18. spell — a short time
  19. current — electric
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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