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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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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 · ruler · clip · wake · bay · current · branch · cabinet

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. current — electric
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. current — happening now
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. clip — a video
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. current — of water
  15. branch — a division
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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