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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bank — for money
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bore — to tire
  15. race — a contest
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bound — certain
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. race — humankind

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