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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: race · cabinet · stand · mate · bear · saw · game · tube

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mate — a friend
  7. race — humankind
  8. bear — the animal
  9. game — a match
  10. tube — the underground
  11. race — a contest
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. tube — a container
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mate — to breed
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. saw — the tool
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mate — a partner
  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