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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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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 · current · key · rest · ruler · march · chip · snap

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chip — to eat
  5. snap — to click
  6. current — happening now
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. current — of water
  10. rest — a break
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. chip — for betting
  20. current — electric
  21. march — the month
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rest — what's left

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