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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. race — a contest
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rock — music
  6. race — the arms race
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. race — humankind
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rock — a stone
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wax — in the ear

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