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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. race — humankind
  4. key — in music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. charge — in control
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. row — a line
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. race — a contest
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. prune — to trim
  24. race — the arms race

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