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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 · wax · foot · fine · mark · chair · fall · drill

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fall — the season
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. drill — army training
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fine — all right
  11. chair — a leader
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. drill — the tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. race — a contest
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wax — to grow
  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