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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: bear · lean · mark · craft · spell · hide · chest · drill

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. drill — a practice
  6. chest — of your body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mark — a grade
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lean — thin
  18. craft — boats
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mark — a trace
  21. spell — magic
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. drill — army training
  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