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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. race — the arms race
  7. track — a song
  8. wax — to grow
  9. net — in sport
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. shower — rain
  12. net — after costs
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — a contest
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — for catching
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. shower — to wash
  24. track — to keep track

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