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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lean — thin
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. race — humankind
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pass — a permit
  18. race — a contest
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. race — the arms race
  21. kick — in football
  22. pit — in a race
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mouse — the animal

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