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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. bulb — for light
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. race — humankind
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. scale — size or range
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. scale — in music
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. perch — the fish
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wax — to grow
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. lash — to lash out

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