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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. tube — the underground
  7. race — the arms race
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. cell — in biology
  13. wax — to grow
  14. vault — a safe
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cell — a phone
  22. snap — to click
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wax — in the ear

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