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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: mouse · wax · kick · foot · race · press

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. 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. race — humankind
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wax — to grow
  6. race — a contest
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. press — newspapers
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. kick — in football
  14. press — to push
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. 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