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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: bear · face · race · wave · bore · stem · bass · capital

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bore — to drill
  4. face — part of the head
  5. race — a contest
  6. capital — a city
  7. face — to confront
  8. bear — the animal
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. face — to point toward
  13. capital — money
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bass — low music
  16. bore — to tire
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. race — humankind
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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