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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · fork · calf · roll · lie · current · last · band

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. last — finally
  4. current — electric
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. band — a ring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. band — a music group
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. last — to go on
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. last — final
  14. roll — a list
  15. fork — in a road
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. current — happening now
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. roll — a cake
  24. fork — to eat with

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