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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. race — a contest
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. race — the arms race
  10. march — the month
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. ball — a great time
  13. march — the month
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. race — humankind
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lean — to bend
  21. march — music
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mine — for digging
  24. ball — a dance

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