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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: press · bound · wave · wake · ruler · wind · nail · bank

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. press — newspapers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bank — for money
  10. wind — moving air
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bound — certain
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bank — for money
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bound — tied together

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