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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wax — to grow
  7. snap — to click
  8. race — humankind
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. fine — all right
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. roll — a cake
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. race — a contest
  18. kick — in football
  19. object — a thing
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. roll — a list
  22. object — an aim
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. object — to protest

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