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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fall — the season
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. race — a contest
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fall — to drop
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. race — humankind
  17. net — for catching
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. ruler — a monarch

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