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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: tear · bear · craft · current · stem · stand

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stem — to come from
  4. current — happening now
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. craft — boats
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. tear — to rip
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. current — electric

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