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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. race — humankind
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. present — a gift
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. race — a contest
  7. cold — an illness
  8. wax — to grow
  9. charge — a price
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. race — the arms race
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cold — not warm
  15. present — the time now
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. present — there

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