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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bore — to drill
  5. last — final
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. last — to go on
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bore — to tire
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. last — finally
  17. wax — to grow
  18. prune — to trim
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — a contest
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rock — music
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. foot — a measure

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