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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: bore · bark · stand · bear · plane · club · rest · tear

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bear — the animal
  10. club — a group
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. tear — from crying
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bore — to drill
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rest — a break
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. tear — from crying
  24. plane — an aircraft

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