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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. race — a contest
  2. row — to paddle
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. band — a ring
  5. key — in music
  6. band — a music group
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. race — humankind
  9. key — the most important part
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. race — the arms race
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. row — a line
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wax — to grow
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wave — with your hand
  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