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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: stand · bear · spring · date · tear · board · mouse · dip

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. spring — of water
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. stand — to bear
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. board — a committee
  21. spring — a coil
  22. dip — to sink
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bear — the animal

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