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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 · trunk · nail · club · kick · wax · stem · ruler

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. current — electric
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. kick — in football
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. club — for golf
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. club — a group

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