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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. race — a contest
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rock — music
  4. net — in sport
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. race — humankind
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  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