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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · current · bark · rush · cabinet · race · clip · wax

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. current — happening now
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bark — to shout
  8. race — humankind
  9. clip — to cut
  10. current — electric
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. clip — a video
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. race — the arms race
  15. snap — to click
  16. race — a contest
  17. clip — for paper
  18. current — of water
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wax — to grow
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rush — hurry

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