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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: stand · bank · tear · bear · bowl · chest · kid · roll

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bank — for money
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. kid — child
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bank — of a river
  14. tear — to rip
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bank — for money
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bear — the animal
  19. roll — a list
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. chest — a box
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. roll — on a roll

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