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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 120 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. drill — a practice
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. club — a group
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. court — for sport
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. lie — to recline
  15. court — of a king
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. race — the arms race
  18. court — of law
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wax — to grow

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