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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: firm · track · rest · ball · wind · race · wax · charge

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. race — a contest
  5. firm — a company
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rest — what's left
  8. race — humankind
  9. track — a path
  10. wind — moving air
  11. charge — a price
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wind — moving air
  14. firm — steady
  15. charge — in control
  16. wax — to grow
  17. firm — decided
  18. charge — electricity
  19. track — a song
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. ball — a dance
  24. race — the arms race

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