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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 · rest · current · drill · lean · bear · deal

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lean — thin
  4. current — electric
  5. drill — army training
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spell — magic
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spell — letters
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rest — what's left
  20. drill — a practice
  21. chest — of your body
  22. current — of water
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rest — a break

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