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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. ball — a dance
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wax — to grow
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. fine — all right

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