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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · kick · hide · bear · plane · tube · rash · stand

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rash — a series
  6. tube — the underground
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bear — the animal
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. tube — a container
  18. rash — hasty
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stand — to bear

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