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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. race — the arms race
  3. scale — in music
  4. mark — a trace
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. club — a group
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. race — humankind
  11. face — to confront
  12. club — for golf
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. scale — size or range
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. face — to point toward
  18. date — the fruit
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mark — a grade
  21. club — for dancing
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. race — a contest

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