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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: rock · fall · rush · wound · wake · ruler · rest · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rest — a break
  8. spring — of water
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fall — the season
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rock — music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. spring — the season
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fall — to drop

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