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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cell — in biology
  5. race — a contest
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. race — humankind
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. chest — of your body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wax — to grow
  20. chest — a box
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wave — with your hand

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