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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: band · stem · fall · bear · bore · toast · ruler · march

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. band — a ring
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. toast — bread
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. march — the month
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bore — to tire
  15. march — music
  16. stem — to come from
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. march — the month
  19. bore — to drill
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. fall — the season
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. band — a music group
  24. fall — to drop

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