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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 116 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: branch · ruler · current · ground · rest · mark · wake · straw

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ground — the earth
  5. branch — a division
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. current — electric
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mark — a trace
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rest — a break
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ground — a position

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