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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: bore · wave · row · plane · hide · land · race · tube

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. land — to come down
  3. bore — to tire
  4. plane — a tool
  5. land — ground
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. tube — a container
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. race — a contest
  13. land — a country
  14. race — the arms race
  15. row — to paddle
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. row — a line
  18. bore — to drill
  19. race — humankind
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. tube — the underground
  23. hide — animal skin
  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