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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: ruler · racket · perch · bass · wax · hide · last · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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 — a contest
  2. perch — the fish
  3. last — finally
  4. race — humankind
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bass — low music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. last — to go on
  17. race — the arms race
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bass — the fish
  20. last — final
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. perch — for a bird
  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