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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: board · squash · race · file · wax · suit · cell · roll

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. board — a committee
  5. race — the arms race
  6. squash — the sport
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. suit — to fit
  11. roll — a cake
  12. race — a contest
  13. wax — to grow
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. file — a line of people
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. file — a document
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cell — a phone
  21. file — a tool
  22. squash — to crush
  23. board — to get on
  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