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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: hide · mate · firm · spell · spring · land · cabinet · drill

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. land — ground
  3. drill — army training
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spring — of water
  6. spell — a short time
  7. firm — steady
  8. spell — letters
  9. firm — a company
  10. spring — the season
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mate — to breed
  16. firm — decided
  17. spell — magic
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mate — a partner
  22. drill — a practice
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mate — a friend

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