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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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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: file · ruler · current · wax · race · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

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

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