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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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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: plane · can · fork · stand · object · bear · game · tear

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. object — to protest
  3. bear — the animal
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. object — an aim
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. tear — from crying
  16. can — to be able to
  17. tear — to rip
  18. can — a tin
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. can — a tin
  21. game — a match
  22. object — a thing
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bear — to put up with

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