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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 120 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. band — a ring
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — the arms race
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. race — humankind
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. race — a contest
  14. bear — the animal
  15. band — a music group
  16. march — the month
  17. wax — to grow
  18. march — music
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. march — the month
  21. fork — in a road
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. wax — in the ear

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