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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rest — a break
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. vault — a safe
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. race — humankind
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. race — a contest
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bulb — for light

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