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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. race — the arms race
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. race — a contest
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stock — shares
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stock — goods
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. race — humankind
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wound — an injury
  24. sharp — with an edge

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