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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: tear · hand · saw · content · deal · plane · rush · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. content — the amount
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. hand — in cards
  9. tear — from crying
  10. drill — army training
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. saw — the tool
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. tear — from crying
  18. deal — to handle
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. saw — the tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. hand — help
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. tear — to rip

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