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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 · safe · ruler · bear · stand · fall

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fall — the season
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fall — to drop
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stand — for spectators
  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