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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: saw · jam · spring · plane · lean · drill · bound · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bound — certain
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bound — obliged
  8. drill — a practice
  9. lean — to bend
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. drill — army training
  19. bound — tied together
  20. plane — a tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lean — thin
  23. plane — in geometry
  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