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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fall — the season
  5. current — happening now
  6. pit — in a race
  7. fall — to drop
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. face — to point toward
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. race — humankind
  13. court — of a king
  14. face — to confront
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. race — a contest
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. fall — to drop
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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