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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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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 · firm · craft · pass · ground · key · kid · wax

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. race — the arms race
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ground — a position
  7. firm — steady
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. race — a contest
  10. firm — decided
  11. ground — crushed
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. firm — a company
  15. ground — the earth
  16. race — humankind
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. craft — a skill
  19. kid — to tease
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. craft — boats
  23. key — for a lock
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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