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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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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: drill · tear · kid · root · deal · plane · firm · spell

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. plane — a tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. root — of a word
  6. tear — to rip
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. drill — the tool
  11. deal — to handle
  12. firm — a company
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. firm — steady
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. drill — a practice
  17. kid — child
  18. root — the cause
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. kid — to tease
  22. firm — decided
  23. root — of a plant
  24. spell — magic

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