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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 124 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. dip — to sink
  3. race — humankind
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. charge — in control
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. race — a contest
  11. drill — army training
  12. wax — to grow
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. charge — a price
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wound — an injury

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