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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.

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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: stand · wound · press · bore · tear · cabinet · race · calf

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. press — to push
  8. tear — to rip
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bore — to drill
  11. race — a contest
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. tear — from crying
  16. press — newspapers
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. race — humankind
  24. stand — for spectators

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