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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 valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mate — a friend
  9. object — an aim
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mate — to breed
  13. saw — the tool
  14. race — a contest
  15. wax — to grow
  16. object — to protest
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. race — humankind
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cap — a lid
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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