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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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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: rash · chip · cabinet · lash · ruler · pound · wax · current

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. current — of water
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. chip — for betting
  9. current — electric
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. current — happening now
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rash — a series
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pound — for dogs

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