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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. object — to protest
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. object — an aim
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. race — a contest
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lean — thin
  11. capital — money
  12. rule — government
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rule — a law
  17. lean — to bend
  18. race — humankind
  19. wax — to grow
  20. object — a thing
  21. race — the arms race
  22. squash — the sport
  23. capital — a city
  24. wax — for sculpting

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