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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rule — government
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. can — a tin
  7. craft — boats
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. race — humankind
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — of the year
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bass — low music
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. rule — a law
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wax — to grow
  23. season — in sport
  24. ball — a great time

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