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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: spring · clip · stock · current · mark · ruler · roll · wave

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. clip — to cut
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. current — of water
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stock — goods
  11. spring — the season
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. clip — for paper
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spring — of water
  18. mark — a grade
  19. roll — a cake
  20. current — electric
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. current — happening now
  24. clip — a video

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