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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. rush — hurry
  7. ground — a position
  8. track — to keep track
  9. band — a music group
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. track — a path
  13. ground — crushed
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. track — a song
  19. current — happening now
  20. race — a contest
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. safe — a strongbox

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