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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 124 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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. fall — to drop
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fall — the season
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. fall — to drop
  10. key — the most important part
  11. prune — to trim
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. key — for a lock
  17. foot — a measure
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. drill — army training
  21. key — in music
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. drill — the tool
  24. race — humankind

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