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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stand — to bear
  3. race — humankind
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. track — a song
  6. race — a contest
  7. net — after costs
  8. track — to keep track
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. season — of the year
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. track — a path
  18. race — the arms race
  19. lie — to recline
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wax — to grow
  24. net — in sport

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