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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: race · rule · file · current · wax · ruler

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. current — happening now
  3. file — a line of people
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. file — a tool
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rule — government
  8. current — of water
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. file — a document
  13. current — electric
  14. rule — a law
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wax — to grow

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