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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: land · cabinet · bore · saw · club · roll · race · lean

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. race — the arms race
  4. lean — thin
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. land — a country
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. race — humankind
  10. land — to come down
  11. club — for dancing
  12. race — a contest
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bore — to drill
  15. club — for golf
  16. land — ground
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. club — a group
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bore — to tire
  23. saw — the tool
  24. roll — a cake

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