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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. drill — a practice
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. race — humankind
  8. squash — to crush
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. drill — the tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. drill — army training
  15. lean — to bend
  16. race — the arms race
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. race — a contest

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