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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: perch · present · stand · rest · root · bore · wave · race

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bore — to drill
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rest — what's left
  8. root — of a plant
  9. present — there
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. race — the arms race
  12. root — of a word
  13. perch — the fish
  14. race — a contest
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rest — what's left
  17. present — the time now
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. root — the cause
  20. race — humankind
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rest — a break
  24. present — a gift

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