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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wax · kid · branch · scale · current · rule · ground · lash

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. ground — crushed
  3. current — happening now
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rule — a law
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. ground — a position
  13. branch — a division
  14. scale — in music
  15. wax — to grow
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rule — government
  18. kid — child
  19. current — electric
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. ground — the earth
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rule — to rule out

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