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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: current · root · drill · race · pop · perch · wave · wax

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pop — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. drill — a practice
  7. race — a contest
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pop — soda
  11. root — of a word
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. race — humankind
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. drill — the tool
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. race — the arms race
  21. current — of water
  22. drill — army training
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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