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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tear · lie · tube · stock · race · bulb · wax · nail

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. tube — a container
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stock — goods
  11. bulb — for light
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. race — humankind
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. lie — to recline
  23. race — a contest
  24. tear — from crying

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