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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. spell — a short time
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ball — a great time
  12. craft — boats
  13. stem — to come from
  14. race — humankind
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rush — hurry
  17. spell — letters
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. ball — a dance
  21. race — the arms race
  22. craft — a skill
  23. spell — magic
  24. race — a contest

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