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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. kid — child
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mug — a cup
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. firm — steady
  12. kid — to tease
  13. wax — to grow
  14. snap — to click
  15. mug — a face
  16. race — a contest
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mug — to rob
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. firm — decided
  24. race — humankind

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