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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mine — for digging
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. race — a contest
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. net — in sport
  8. face — to confront
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. race — humankind
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. suit — clothes
  23. face — to point toward
  24. suit — to fit

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