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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lean — to bend
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stand — to bear
  6. race — the arms race
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lean — thin
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. race — a contest
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. scale — in music
  17. hand — help
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. race — humankind
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wax — to grow

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