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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: coach · rule · rock · race · net · cell · clip · wax

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rock — a stone
  4. race — a contest
  5. net — for catching
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cell — a phone
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rule — a law
  11. net — after costs
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rock — music
  14. rule — government
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. clip — a video
  17. cell — in biology
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. net — in sport
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. clip — to cut
  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