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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 120 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: face · racket · wax · race · drill · rock · leaves · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. race — humankind
  3. drill — army training
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. drill — the tool
  9. race — a contest
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wax — to grow
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. drill — a practice
  23. face — to confront
  24. rock — music

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