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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: mine · track · rule · cabinet · swing · rush · wax · race

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. swing — in golf
  4. race — a contest
  5. track — a song
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wax — to grow
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rule — a law
  13. swing — music
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rule — government
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. track — to keep track
  19. race — the arms race
  20. track — a path
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. race — humankind
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rush — hurry

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