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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.

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: content · current · wax · game · wind · rule · rash · stand

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. current — happening now
  4. stand — to bear
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rule — a law
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rash — a series
  17. content — happy
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rule — government
  20. current — electric
  21. wind — moving air
  22. current — of water
  23. wax — to grow
  24. game — a kind of play

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