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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. drill — a practice
  3. content — the amount
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. race — a contest
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. drill — the tool
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. drill — army training
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. content — happy

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