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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: lash · tube · safe · press · snap · race · stand · bore

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bore — to tire
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. tube — a container
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stand — to bear
  12. press — to push
  13. race — humankind
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. snap — to click
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. race — a contest
  22. press — newspapers
  23. tube — the underground
  24. race — the arms race

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