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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 120 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wax — to grow
  7. race — a contest
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pound — a weight
  19. race — humankind
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. prune — to trim

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