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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 116 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: wake · spring · firm · ruler · current · board · mug · wind

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. firm — decided
  4. board — to get on
  5. firm — steady
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. current — of water
  10. mug — to rob
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. current — electric
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. firm — a company
  18. board — a committee
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. spring — of water
  22. wind — moving air
  23. spring — the season
  24. current — happening now

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