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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. field — a subject
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. craft — boats
  9. field — farmland
  10. race — a contest
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. key — the most important part
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. key — in music
  16. craft — a skill
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. field — for sport
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pit — in a race
  22. content — the amount
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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