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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lean — thin
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pop — music
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bore — to tire
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pop — soda
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. plane — a tool
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. stand — to bear
  24. tear — from crying

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