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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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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: rule · cap · wax · present · mate · race · trunk · toast

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. present — a gift
  5. race — the arms race
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mate — to breed
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cap — a hat
  10. race — a contest
  11. mate — a partner
  12. present — the time now
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. race — humankind
  16. present — there
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rule — government
  19. mate — a friend
  20. toast — bread
  21. rule — a law
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wax — for sculpting

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