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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · clip · rash · wax · bulb · race · rock · march

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. clip — a video
  3. rock — music
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rash — a series
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. march — music
  9. clip — for paper
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rash — hasty
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. march — the month
  17. bulb — for light
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bulb — for light
  23. perch — the fish
  24. march — the month

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