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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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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: wave · bore · stand · content · present · racket · arm · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. present — a gift
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. race — a contest
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stand — to bear
  10. content — happy
  11. present — the time now
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. present — there
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bore — to drill
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. content — the amount
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. race — humankind
  24. arm — part of the body

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