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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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 — in the ear
  2. land — to come down
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mug — to rob
  14. land — ground
  15. rest — what's left
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. land — a country
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. mug — a face
  22. rest — a break
  23. stem — to come from
  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