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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: bass · wax · kid · chip · racket · race · face · calf

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. face — to point toward
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. race — humankind
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bass — low music
  21. kid — child
  22. wax — to grow
  23. calf — of the leg
  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