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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 116 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: lean · plane · present · tube · bore · race · prune · wake

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. tube — a container
  4. bore — to tire
  5. present — there
  6. race — humankind
  7. present — a gift
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lean — thin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. prune — to trim
  13. race — the arms race
  14. present — the time now
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bore — to drill
  22. prune — to trim
  23. race — a contest
  24. tube — the underground

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