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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: stand · trunk · object · bore · date · race · rash · jam

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. object — to protest
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bore — to drill
  5. object — a thing
  6. race — humankind
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rash — a series
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bore — to tire
  16. race — a contest
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. object — an aim
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stand — to bear
  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