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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: fine · drill · rest · bear · chest · spell

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fine — high quality
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. drill — army training
  7. chest — a box
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. chest — of your body
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. drill — the tool
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fine — all right
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rest — a break
  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