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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. prune — to trim
  5. race — humankind
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. last — finally
  8. content — the amount
  9. prune — to trim
  10. last — to go on
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wax — to grow
  14. game — wild animals
  15. race — the arms race
  16. content — happy
  17. last — final
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. roll — a cake
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. game — a match
  23. race — a contest
  24. cabinet — ministers

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