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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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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: wax · spell · lash · hand · chip · board · current · trunk

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chip — to eat
  4. spell — letters
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. current — electric
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. chip — for betting
  15. board — a committee
  16. hand — help
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. spell — magic
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. board — to get on
  21. hand — in cards
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wax — in the ear

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