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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 120 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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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: wax · kick · last · bank · race · dip · mug · stick

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bank — of a river
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kick — in football
  6. race — humankind
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. last — final
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. mug — to rob
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mug — a cup
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bank — for money
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bank — for money
  23. mug — a face
  24. race — a contest

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