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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 120 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. race — the arms race
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wax — to grow
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. scale — in music
  13. race — humankind
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. kick — in football
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stock — goods
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. race — a contest
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. kick — a thrill

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