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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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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: race · leaves · kick · coach · tube · stand · bear · band

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. race — humankind
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tube — the underground
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. band — a ring
  9. race — a contest
  10. kick — in football
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. tube — a container
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. band — a music group
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  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