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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. race — a contest
  13. cell — a phone
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. charge — electricity
  16. deal — to handle
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — in biology
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wax — to grow
  22. kick — in football
  23. track — a path
  24. trunk — of a car

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