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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.

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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: leaves · drill · squash · bear · deal · field

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. drill — a practice
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. field — farmland
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bear — the animal
  12. field — for sport
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bear — the animal
  15. drill — the tool
  16. field — a subject
  17. drill — army training
  18. squash — to crush

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