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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 · jam · degree · rest · cap · spring · stick · current

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. current — of water
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. spring — the season
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wax — to grow
  10. degree — an amount
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. current — happening now
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. degree — from a university
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. degree — temperature
  19. spring — of water
  20. cap — a lid
  21. current — electric
  22. rest — a break
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. spring — a coil

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