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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. club — for dancing
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. spring — a coil
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. club — a group
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. club — for golf
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. spring — of water
  18. race — humankind
  19. object — an aim
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. race — a contest
  24. chair — a leader

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