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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: stick · wind · plane · mate · bear · tear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mate — a friend
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mate — to breed
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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