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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.

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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: chest · spell · suit · tear · can · saw · deal · spring

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. spring — of water
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. tear — from crying
  7. spell — letters
  8. chest — of your body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — to be able to
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. spell — a short time
  13. suit — in cards
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spell — magic
  16. spring — a coil
  17. tear — to rip
  18. chest — of your body
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. chest — a box
  21. can — a tin
  22. spring — the season
  23. tear — from crying
  24. can — a tin

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