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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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 — the arms race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. track — a path
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mate — to breed
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mate — a friend
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bank — for money
  16. mate — a partner
  17. tube — a container
  18. race — humankind
  19. bank — for money
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. track — a song
  22. race — a contest
  23. tube — the underground
  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