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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
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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: trunk · ruler · current · suit · wax · roll · spell · land

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. roll — a cake
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. suit — in cards
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. spell — magic
  7. current — of water
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. current — happening now
  12. roll — a list
  13. spell — letters
  14. suit — clothes
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. land — ground
  18. current — electric
  19. suit — to fit
  20. land — a country
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spell — a short time
  24. land — to come down

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