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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wax — to grow
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — decided
  7. race — a contest
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — for paper
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. race — humankind
  14. firm — a company
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. clip — to cut
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. coach — a trainer

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