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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: wake · hide · bear · stand · tube · band · hand · bore

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. stand — to bear
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wake — a trail
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bore — to tire
  22. band — a ring
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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