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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wax — to grow
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bound — certain
  8. race — a contest
  9. track — a path
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. current — of water
  12. pop — to visit
  13. current — happening now
  14. pop — music
  15. track — a song
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. current — electric
  20. track — to keep track
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pop — soda
  23. craft — boats
  24. race — humankind

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