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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: last · craft · current · trunk · ruler · wound · wind · firm

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. current — of water
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. craft — boats
  7. current — electric
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. last — finally
  10. firm — decided
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wind — moving air
  13. current — happening now
  14. wound — an injury
  15. last — final
  16. last — to go on
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. firm — steady
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. firm — a company
  21. wind — moving air
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wound — an injury
  24. craft — a skill

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