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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. race — a contest
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. swing — music
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. swing — to play on
  10. spring — the season
  11. pit — in a race
  12. swing — in golf
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. race — humankind
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. object — a thing
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. object — an aim

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