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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wax — to grow
  7. firm — steady
  8. mark — a trace
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. firm — a company
  11. cell — a phone
  12. race — humankind
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. firm — decided
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cell — in biology
  23. tube — a container
  24. mark — a grade

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