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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. present — a gift
  4. race — the arms race
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wax — to grow
  9. race — humankind
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stem — to come from
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. race — a contest

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