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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. dip — to sink
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. race — a contest
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. race — humankind
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. dip — a sauce

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