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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 120 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: tear · fork · pass · bear · wound · ground · stand · season

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. ground — a position
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. season — in sport
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pass — a permit
  20. season — of the year
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. tear — from crying

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