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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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468
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: rock · saw · stand · bear · row · game · craft · ruler

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rock — music
  7. craft — a skill
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. craft — boats
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. row — a line
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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