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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: bear · roll · pitcher · pass · cabinet · stand · wave · tear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. roll — a list
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pass — a permit
  19. roll — a cake
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. tear — to rip
  24. cabinet — ministers

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