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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 120 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: saw · can · wave · stand · cabinet · bowl · bore · tear

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. saw — the tool
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stand — to bear
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tear — from crying
  18. can — a tin
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. can — a tin
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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