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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 120 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. snap — to click
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. craft — boats
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — humankind
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. land — ground
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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