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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. kid — to tease
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rock — music
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. kid — child
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. race — a contest
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. race — humankind
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rock — a stone

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