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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: toast · roll · patient · bear · lash · bore · wave · race

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. race — the arms race
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bear — the animal
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. roll — a cake
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wave — with your hand

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