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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wax — to grow
  4. race — humankind
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. race — the arms race
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. clip — a video
  12. saw — the tool
  13. clip — for paper
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. clip — to cut
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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