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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. race — humankind
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. wax — to grow
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. snap — to click
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. leaves — lets stay

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