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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fall — to drop
  6. race — humankind
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. key — in music
  9. race — a contest
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cue — a hint
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ground — a position
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ground — the earth
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bank — of a river

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