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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. race — humankind
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. firm — a company
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mate — a partner
  9. face — to confront
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wax — to grow
  14. board — to get on
  15. stem — to come from
  16. face — part of the head
  17. firm — steady
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. firm — decided
  20. bulb — for light
  21. race — a contest
  22. board — a committee
  23. race — the arms race
  24. mate — a friend

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