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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. board — to get on
  4. race — humankind
  5. ground — a position
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. ground — crushed
  8. race — the arms race
  9. board — a committee
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. wax — to grow
  18. race — a contest
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pass — a permit

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