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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wax — to grow
  5. spring — a coil
  6. degree — from a university
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. charge — a price
  10. race — humankind
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. charge — in control
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. degree — an amount
  20. race — a contest
  21. rest — a break
  22. degree — temperature
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. race — the arms race

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