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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cell — in biology
  7. object — an aim
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. object — a thing
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. race — humankind
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. object — to protest
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. race — the arms race
  22. cell — a phone
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. race — a contest

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