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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. spell — letters
  6. fall — to drop
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. spell — magic
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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