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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: net · wake · current · ruler · shower · dip · face · mug

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. net — after costs
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wake — a trail
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mug — a cup
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. current — electric
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. face — to confront
  20. shower — to wash
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. wake — before a funeral

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