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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. ground — a position
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. race — a contest
  5. net — for catching
  6. saw — the tool
  7. net — in sport
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ground — the earth
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. present — a gift
  12. net — after costs
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. suit — in cards
  17. saw — the tool
  18. present — there
  19. ground — crushed
  20. race — the arms race
  21. present — the time now
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wake — a trail
  24. suit — to fit

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