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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. face — to confront
  6. capital — a city
  7. race — humankind
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. race — a contest
  10. bulb — for light
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rest — a break
  13. capital — money
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. wax — to grow
  20. face — to point toward
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. face — part of the head

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