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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 120 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: straw · hide · scale · rule · spring · current · wax · craft

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. craft — a skill
  3. spring — the season
  4. current — of water
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rule — government
  10. craft — boats
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. current — happening now
  13. spring — a coil
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spring — of water
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rule — a law
  21. scale — in music
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wax — to grow
  24. hide — animal skin

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