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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 120 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. race — the arms race
  6. game — a match
  7. wax — to grow
  8. race — a contest
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. field — for sport
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. game — wild animals
  18. shower — to wash
  19. field — farmland
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. chair — a leader
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. field — a subject
  24. wax — in the ear

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