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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: craft · current · snap · rash · land · ruler · rest · wax

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. craft — a skill
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rest — a break
  11. rash — a series
  12. current — of water
  13. land — a country
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. snap — to click
  17. current — electric
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. craft — boats
  24. ruler — a monarch

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