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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: wax · foot · stand · cabinet · bowl · chest · race · tube

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chest — of your body
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wax — to grow
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. foot — a measure

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