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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: stem · tear · wind · board · lie · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. board — a committee
  3. tear — to rip
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. board — to get on
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wind — moving air
  18. 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