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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: race · season · wax · object · deal · safe · toast · cap

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cap — a lid
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. season — of the year
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cap — a hat
  9. race — humankind
  10. wax — to grow
  11. deal — to handle
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cap — of ice
  16. object — a thing
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. race — the arms race
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. race — a contest
  22. toast — bread
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. season — to add flavour

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