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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. lean — to bend
  3. race — a contest
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. clip — a video
  6. wax — to grow
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. clip — for paper
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lean — thin
  16. clip — to cut
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. race — humankind
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — the time now
  24. lie — to recline

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