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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. club — a group
  10. drill — army training
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. race — a contest
  14. spell — magic
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. spell — letters
  19. drill — a practice
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. wax — to grow
  24. jam — a tight spot

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