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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 · kid · current · can · rash · rush · mine · bear

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mine — for digging
  6. kid — child
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. kid — to tease
  10. current — of water
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rash — a series
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rash — hasty
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. can — a tin

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