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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rest — a break
  8. race — the arms race
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wax — to grow
  11. race — a contest
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. game — a match
  14. sharp — clever
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rest — what's left
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stock — shares
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. race — humankind
  23. stock — goods
  24. wax — for sculpting

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