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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 · bore · pound · wave · bear · season · stand · pass

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. bore — to tire
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. season — in sport
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. plane — a tool
  9. season — of the year
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bore — to drill
  23. season — to add flavour
  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