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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. race — humankind
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. shower — to wash
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bat — the animal
  20. ball — a great time
  21. shower — rain
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wax — to grow
  24. snap — to click

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