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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: current · cell · capital · craft · wax · wake · rash · mark

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wake — a trail
  3. craft — a skill
  4. current — happening now
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rash — a series
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cell — a phone
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mark — a trace
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — a city
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. capital — money
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wax — to grow
  24. mark — a grade

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