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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bulb — for light
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. race — a contest
  6. rash — a series
  7. cap — a lid
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wax — to grow
  16. branch — a division
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. race — humankind

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