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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. squash — to crush
  10. game — a match
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. scale — in music
  13. race — humankind
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wax — to grow
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. game — wild animals
  22. race — a contest
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. game — a kind of play

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