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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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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: bear · march · stand · rash · chest · ruler

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. march — music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chest — a box
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rash — a series
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stand — to bear
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ruler — for measuring

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