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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 116 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: spell · court · lie · row · race · leaves · wax · board

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. board — a committee
  3. spell — magic
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. race — humankind
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wax — to grow
  10. spell — letters
  11. race — a contest
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. court — of a king
  15. spell — a short time
  16. board — to get on
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. court — of law
  19. row — a line
  20. court — for sport
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. lie — to recline

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