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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pit — a hole
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wax — to grow
  13. can — a tin
  14. court — of a king
  15. race — humankind
  16. can — a tin
  17. court — for sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. court — of law
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wake — a trail

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