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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: race · mate · press · wax · hide · cap · object · craft

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. race — a contest
  3. craft — boats
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mate — to breed
  6. race — humankind
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. press — to push
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. press — newspapers
  14. craft — a skill
  15. object — to protest
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. object — an aim
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cap — a lid

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