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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: race · key · tear · cue · spell · bass · wax · present

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. race — a contest
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. race — humankind
  7. present — there
  8. spell — magic
  9. race — the arms race
  10. key — in music
  11. cue — a signal
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wax — to grow
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bass — low music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. tear — from crying

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