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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.

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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. present — the time now
  3. cold — an illness
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wax — to grow
  8. clip — for paper
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. race — a contest
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — a video
  15. club — a group
  16. board — to get on
  17. cold — not warm
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. board — a committee
  20. race — humankind
  21. club — for golf
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. race — the arms race

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