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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mark — a grade
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. band — a ring
  14. race — a contest
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mark — a trace
  23. band — a music group
  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