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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: band · content · current · wax · mate · race · lash · nail

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. current — happening now
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. band — a ring
  9. mate — to breed
  10. race — a contest
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mate — a partner
  13. content — happy
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wax — to grow
  18. current — electric
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. band — a music group
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. current — of water
  23. mate — a friend
  24. band — a rubber band

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