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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: snap · bore · race · tear · trunk · stick · lean · stand

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. race — the arms race
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. snap — to click
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bore — to tire
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. race — a contest
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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