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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lean — thin
  14. march — music
  15. race — humankind
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. date — the fruit
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. march — the month
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wax — to grow
  22. march — the month
  23. race — a contest
  24. rush — to hurry

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