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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: bank · current · chest · wound · ruler · cabinet · stand · face

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. current — of water
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. face — to confront
  10. chest — of your body
  11. current — electric
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. face — to point toward
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. face — part of the head
  18. current — happening now
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  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