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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: mark · hide · wake · tear · board · bear · stand · rush

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. tear — to rip
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bear — the animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wake — a trail

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