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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 120 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: stand · wound · suit · mine · bore · mate · bear · tear

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bear — the animal
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bear — the animal
  24. tear — to rip

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