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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 116 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: racket · wax · rock · rush · current · snap · stem · shower

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. wax — to grow
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rock — music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. current — of water
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. racket — for tennis

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