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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: kick · ruler · lash · wax · bark · capital · craft · current

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wax — to grow
  3. kick — in football
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. current — of water
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. current — electric
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. current — happening now
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. capital — a city
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bark — to shout
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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