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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 · rush · tube · fan · bear · race · bore · deal

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bear — the animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. tube — the underground
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. tube — a container
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. race — humankind
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bore — to tire
  24. deal — a big deal

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