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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mug — a face
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — to grow
  8. race — a contest
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. drill — a practice
  12. content — happy
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pass — a permit
  17. drill — army training
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. race — humankind
  22. craft — boats
  23. content — the amount
  24. mug — to rob

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