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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: roll · wake · ball · wax · pass · stand · land · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. land — a country
  4. race — humankind
  5. ball — a great time
  6. roll — a cake
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. land — ground
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. land — to come down
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. roll — a list
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ball — a dance
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wax — to grow

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