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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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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 · suit · spring · race · drill · lie · saw · cold

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. spring — the season
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spring — of water
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. race — a contest
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wax — to grow
  11. race — the arms race
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — an illness
  17. drill — the tool
  18. suit — clothes
  19. saw — the tool
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wax — in the ear

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