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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. current — happening now
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. fork — in a road
  13. vault — a safe
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. race — a contest
  17. current — of water
  18. tube — a container
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. current — electric
  22. face — to point toward
  23. race — humankind
  24. wax — to grow

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