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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · ruler · lash · bound · current · wound · land · scale

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. land — a country
  4. current — happening now
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bound — obliged
  8. land — to come down
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bound — certain
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. current — electric
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. land — ground
  22. current — of water
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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