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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. race — the arms race
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. date — the fruit
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. lean — thin
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. squash — to crush
  19. race — humankind
  20. lean — to bend
  21. race — a contest
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pass — to succeed

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