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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 120 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: rush · lash · current · wake · ruler · pop · key · clip

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. clip — to cut
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pop — soda
  6. current — electric
  7. key — the most important part
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. key — in music
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. clip — for paper
  19. key — for a lock
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. clip — a video
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pop — music

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