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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. can — a tin
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. race — a contest
  14. ground — crushed
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bass — low music
  17. rush — hurry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ground — the earth
  22. plane — a tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. ground — a position

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