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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · current · spring · spell · club · wind · rule · ruler

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. spring — the season
  4. club — for golf
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fine — all right
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. club — a group
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. club — for dancing
  11. current — electric
  12. spring — of water
  13. spell — letters
  14. current — happening now
  15. rule — government
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. spell — magic
  19. fine — high quality
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. current — of water
  24. rule — a law

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