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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. race — humankind
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. club — for dancing
  7. present — the time now
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. date — the fruit
  11. race — a contest
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. branch — a division
  14. face — to confront
  15. wax — to grow
  16. present — there
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. present — a gift
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. club — for golf
  24. race — the arms race

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