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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: rush · ruler · current · rash · game · spring · hand · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. spring — a coil
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. current — happening now
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hand — help
  7. current — of water
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. game — wild animals
  11. current — electric
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. spring — of water
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rash — hasty
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. game — a match
  20. rush — hurry
  21. hand — in cards
  22. spring — the season
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — on the skin

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