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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. last — finally
  3. pass — a permit
  4. present — a gift
  5. race — a contest
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wax — to grow
  9. branch — a division
  10. suit — to fit
  11. last — final
  12. suit — clothes
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. present — there
  16. net — after costs
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. last — to go on
  20. present — the time now
  21. race — the arms race
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. suit — in cards

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