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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: ruler · chest · racket · wave · wax · can · lie · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. can — a tin
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. current — electric
  9. wax — to grow
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lie — to recline
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. can — a tin
  19. current — happening now
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. lie — an untruth

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