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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: tear · spell · wound · mine · bay · plane · pop · drill

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. tear — to rip
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pop — soda
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. drill — army training
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pop — music
  12. spell — magic
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. tear — from crying
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pop — to visit
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. drill — the tool

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