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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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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: nail · current · wave · rest · ruler · stick · bear · band

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rest — a break
  8. current — of water
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bear — the animal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bear — the animal
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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