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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: wave · land · wound · content · bank · pop · ruler · rock

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. pop — music
  7. land — to come down
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bank — for money
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. content — happy
  14. rock — music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rock — a stone
  17. land — a country
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bank — for money
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pop — soda

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