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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: wake · roll · plane · pound · mouse · tear · bear · stem

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. roll — a list
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wake — a trail
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pound — a weight

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