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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 120 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: mouse · ruler · content · staff · wake · firm · land · bank

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. firm — steady
  3. staff — employees
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. land — ground
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bank — for money
  14. land — to come down
  15. content — the amount
  16. firm — decided
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. firm — a company
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. land — a country
  21. staff — employees
  22. wake — a trail
  23. content — happy
  24. bank — for money

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