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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.

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: kick · wake · board · wax · bat · current · file · ruler

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bat — the animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wake — a trail
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. file — a document
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. file — a line of people
  16. current — of water
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. current — electric
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. file — a tool
  24. current — happening now

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