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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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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: sharp · wind · bass · calf · bear · bore · race · tube

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. sharp — clever
  3. tube — a container
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. race — the arms race
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bear — the animal
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bass — low music
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. race — humankind
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tube — the underground

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