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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. cell — a phone
  5. stock — goods
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stock — shares
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. band — a ring
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. race — humankind
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. race — a contest
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. band — a music group
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. temple — side of the head

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