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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. race — humankind
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wax — to grow
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. sharp — clever
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wind — moving air
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. firm — a company
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. firm — steady
  24. present — the time now

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