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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 · ruler · straw · pass · current · court · mate · firm

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. current — happening now
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. firm — steady
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. court — of law
  13. current — electric
  14. court — for sport
  15. wax — to grow
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. pass — a permit
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mate — a partner
  23. court — of a king
  24. straw — dry grass

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