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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: wax · race · stick · present · wave · bore · game · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. race — humankind
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. present — there
  10. bore — to tire
  11. present — a gift
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. game — a match
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. race — a contest
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. present — the time now
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bore — to drill

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