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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 116 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: rest · ruler · cold · content · safe · current · can · wave

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. current — happening now
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cold — not warm
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. can — a tin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. current — electric
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. content — the amount
  18. can — a tin
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. current — of water
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. content — happy
  24. ruler — for measuring

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