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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: bore · wave · kick · race · roll · bulb · chair · jam

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bore — to drill
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. roll — a list
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. race — the arms race
  23. kick — in football
  24. race — humankind

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