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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. race — humankind
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bore — to drill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. object — an aim
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bore — to tire
  12. object — to protest
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fall — the season
  18. race — a contest
  19. fall — to drop
  20. object — a thing
  21. fall — to drop
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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