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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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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: row · firm · leaves · race · straw · prune · pass · wax

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. row — a line
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. firm — a company
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pass — a permit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. firm — decided
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. race — humankind
  14. firm — steady
  15. row — to paddle
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. prune — to trim
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. straw — a straw man

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