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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 · craft · bowl · tear · rest · plane

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. craft — boats
  3. bear — the animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. tear — to rip
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rest — what's left
  10. craft — a skill
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bear — the animal

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