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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. last — final
  4. race — the arms race
  5. last — to go on
  6. charge — in control
  7. last — finally
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wax — to grow
  13. charge — a price
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. charge — electricity
  17. race — a contest
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mug — to rob
  23. race — humankind
  24. mug — a face

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