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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rash · bore · saw · coach · mouse · bear · tube

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bore — to tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. race — a contest
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. race — humankind
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. race — the arms race
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. coach — a trainer

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