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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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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 · rock · stem · mug · ruler · dip · wake · rule

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rule — a law
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mug — a cup
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rule — government
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mug — a face
  21. current — happening now
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. dip — to sink

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