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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · rush · rock · lean · land · bore · pit · race

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. lean — to bend
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lean — thin
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. land — to come down
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bore — to tire
  15. race — humankind
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rock — music
  19. land — a country
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. land — ground
  22. race — a contest
  23. mate — a friend
  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