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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 116 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — to grow
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. land — ground
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mug — a face
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. land — to come down
  23. wind — moving air
  24. land — a country

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