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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. race — humankind
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. race — a contest
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stock — shares
  11. rock — music
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wax — to grow
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mark — a trace
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stock — goods
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. race — the arms race

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