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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. wax — to grow
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. race — humankind
  8. rest — what's left
  9. court — for sport
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rest — a break
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rest — what's left
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. race — a contest
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. safe — out of danger

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