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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: wave · prune · ruler · rush · tube · current · saw · band

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. current — happening now
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. current — of water
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. current — electric
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. band — a music group
  12. tube — a container
  13. rush — hurry
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. saw — the tool
  23. band — a ring
  24. prune — the fruit

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