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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. race — the arms race
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. firm — decided
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. current — happening now
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. firm — a company
  10. race — humankind
  11. current — electric
  12. firm — steady
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. current — of water
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. race — a contest
  24. wind — moving air

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