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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. race — humankind
  3. suit — in cards
  4. race — a contest
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. row — a line
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. row — to paddle
  11. rock — a stone
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. race — the arms race
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rock — music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. suit — clothes

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