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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mug — a face
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mug — to rob
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bulb — for light
  13. race — humankind
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pit — in a race
  16. sharp — clever
  17. race — a contest
  18. hand — help
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bulb — of a plant

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