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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. race — humankind
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. drill — army training
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wax — to grow
  9. swing — music
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. drill — a practice
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. swing — to play on
  19. firm — steady
  20. race — a contest
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pound — a weight

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