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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: can · tear · charge · march · plane · land · race · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. march — the month
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bear — the animal
  10. race — a contest
  11. can — to be able to
  12. race — humankind
  13. march — the month
  14. land — a country
  15. charge — a price
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. can — a tin
  20. race — the arms race
  21. tear — from crying
  22. can — a tin
  23. tear — to rip
  24. march — music

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