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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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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. march — the month
  5. wax — to grow
  6. race — a contest
  7. squash — to crush
  8. current — electric
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. march — music
  14. current — happening now
  15. march — the month
  16. current — of water
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. race — humankind
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rock — a stone
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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