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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 116 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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — to cut
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rash — a series
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. race — humankind
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. race — a contest
  17. clip — a video
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wax — for sculpting

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