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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 120 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: spell · lie · mate · tear · spring · bear · drill · plane

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. tear — from crying
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mate — a partner
  5. spring — the season
  6. mate — to breed
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — magic
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bear — the animal
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bear — the animal
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. spell — a short time
  18. tear — to rip
  19. spring — a coil
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. spring — of water
  23. tear — from crying
  24. spell — letters

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