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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · board · straw · race · wax · snap · scale · current

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. snap — to click
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. current — of water
  11. scale — size or range
  12. board — a committee
  13. scale — in music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. race — humankind
  16. current — electric
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. current — happening now
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. board — to get on
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. race — a contest
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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