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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 116 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 do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rock — a stone
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. race — humankind
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — all right
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. race — a contest
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. rock — music
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. fine — a penalty

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