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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: race · leaves · bore · fan · wound · mine · suit · lie

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. suit — in cards
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bore — to drill
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. suit — to fit
  10. race — a contest
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. race — humankind
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lie — an untruth
  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