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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: present · can · tear · deal · wake · rest · spell · drill

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. drill — the tool
  4. tear — from crying
  5. drill — army training
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. drill — a practice
  9. present — a gift
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. can — a tin
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. tear — to rip
  16. present — there
  17. can — to be able to
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rest — a break
  20. spell — magic
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rest — what's left
  23. present — the time now
  24. deal — to handle

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