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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: wave · bore · tube · race · stand · roll · file · bear

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. race — the arms race
  7. file — a document
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. stand — to bear
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bear — the animal
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bore — to tire
  17. file — a tool
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. tube — a container
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wave — with your hand

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