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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. race — the arms race
  3. band — a music group
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mug — a face
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. race — humankind
  10. mug — a cup
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. tear — from crying
  15. band — a ring
  16. march — the month
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. march — music
  20. fine — high quality
  21. march — the month
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. race — a contest
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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