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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: stick · tear · plane · stand · march · bay

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. march — music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stand — to bear
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. tear — from crying
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stand — for spectators

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