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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bass — low music
  3. face — to point toward
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bass — the fish
  6. race — humankind
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wound — an injury
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. stock — shares
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. race — a contest
  18. face — to confront
  19. row — a line
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wound — an injury

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