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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
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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: capital · drill · craft · spell · bear · tear

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tear — to rip
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. spell — letters
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. capital — a city
  11. craft — a skill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. spell — a short time
  14. craft — boats
  15. bear — the animal
  16. capital — money
  17. drill — a practice
  18. spell — magic

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