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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mug — a face
  4. race — a contest
  5. wax — to grow
  6. court — of a king
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mug — a cup
  10. court — of law
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. race — humankind
  15. row — to paddle
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. court — for sport
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mug — to rob
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. row — a line
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. suit — clothes

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