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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. race — humankind
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. roll — a cake
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. race — a contest
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. race — the arms race
  12. roll — a list
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. rush — hurry
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pop — music
  22. rash — hasty
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wax — to grow

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