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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · drill · arm · race · present · kick

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. race — humankind
  3. present — the time now
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kick — in football
  6. race — the arms race
  7. present — a gift
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. drill — the tool
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. present — there
  17. race — a contest
  18. wax — to grow

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