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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: current · wound · chair · bear · ruler · bank · file · pop

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. bank — of a river
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pop — soda
  6. bear — the animal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. current — of water
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. file — a tool
  13. current — happening now
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bank — for money
  17. pop — music
  18. current — electric
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. file — a document
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bear — the animal
  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