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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. race — humankind
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. board — a committee
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. season — of the year
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. race — a contest
  12. wax — to grow
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. season — in sport
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. board — to get on
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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