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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 116 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
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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: squash · current · wax · wind · rule · cap · spell · bulb

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. squash — to crush
  4. current — happening now
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rule — a law
  12. current — electric
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. current — of water
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spell — letters
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wind — moving air
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rule — government

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