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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: object · bear · race · mate · drill · rest

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mate — a partner
  4. object — a thing
  5. drill — army training
  6. race — a contest
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mate — to breed
  9. object — an aim
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rest — what's left
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rest — a break
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. race — humankind
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bear — the animal

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