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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. wind — moving air
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. last — finally
  8. wind — moving air
  9. race — the arms race
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stand — to bear
  12. last — final
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. press — a publisher
  15. last — to go on
  16. chest — a box
  17. race — a contest
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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