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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: rush · pitcher · tear · hide · wax · stick · plane · bear

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — the animal
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rush — hurry
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. tear — to rip
  24. plane — in geometry

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