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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: march · current · spring · wax · object · kick · cue · chest

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. kick — in football
  5. march — music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. march — the month
  8. object — an aim
  9. march — the month
  10. spring — a coil
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. object — to protest
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. spring — the season
  17. chest — a box
  18. object — a thing
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cue — a signal
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. spring — of water
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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