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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.

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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: chip · current · wound · wax · ruler · mate · hand · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. hand — help
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wound — an injury
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chip — to eat
  21. current — happening now
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hand — in cards

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