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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 116 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: race · rule · file · current · wax · ruler · root · bay

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. current — electric
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. root — of a word
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rule — government
  10. file — a tool
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. race — the arms race
  16. root — the cause
  17. file — a document
  18. wax — to grow
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. race — a contest
  22. rule — a law
  23. race — humankind
  24. ruler — for measuring

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