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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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. wake — a trail
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wax — to grow
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. race — humankind
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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