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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wax — to grow
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. perch — the fish
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. deal — to handle
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. board — to get on
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. race — humankind
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. deal — a big deal

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