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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. bore — to tire
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bark — to shout
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bank — for money
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. race — humankind
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bank — for money
  24. mate — a friend

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