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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. can — a tin
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wax — to grow
  6. race — humankind
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. can — a tin
  10. rash — a series
  11. game — wild animals
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. game — a match
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mine — for digging
  20. can — to be able to
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rash — hasty

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