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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: toast · spring · leaves · wax · mine · race · wave · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. race — the arms race
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. race — a contest
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pass — a permit
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. toast — bread
  24. race — humankind

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