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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. race — humankind
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. degree — an amount
  5. board — a committee
  6. present — a gift
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. degree — from a university
  10. present — the time now
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. present — there
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. degree — temperature
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. plane — a tool
  23. board — to get on
  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