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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: wax · roll · foot · rush · current · content · dip · drill

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wax — to grow
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. roll — a cake
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. drill — the tool
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. content — happy
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. drill — a practice
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. content — the amount
  18. roll — a list
  19. drill — army training
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. current — happening now
  22. foot — a measure
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rush — hurry

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