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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: band · bulb · bear · bore · saw · roll · race · mine

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. race — humankind
  9. saw — the tool
  10. roll — a cake
  11. band — a music group
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. roll — a list
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bear — the animal
  18. band — a ring
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. race — a contest
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bore — gave birth

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