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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: mine · board · spell · mate · rest · drill · bear · firm

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rest — a break
  3. mate — a friend
  4. drill — army training
  5. bear — the animal
  6. firm — steady
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mate — a partner
  13. board — a committee
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bear — the animal
  16. firm — a company
  17. spell — letters
  18. firm — decided
  19. mate — to breed
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. board — to get on

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