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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. fine — all right
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. race — the arms race
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. race — humankind
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lie — to recline
  11. land — to come down
  12. fine — high quality
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bulb — for light
  15. land — ground
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. race — a contest
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. land — a country
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stem — to come from
  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