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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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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: race · lie · mug · wax · racket · pit · wound · bulb

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. race — a contest
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. race — the arms race
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. race — humankind
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. 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