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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. race — humankind
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cold — not warm
  10. race — the arms race
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wax — to grow
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. deal — to handle
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. foot — a measure
  20. cold — an illness
  21. kick — in football
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. squash — the sport
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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