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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. firm — steady
  6. content — happy
  7. content — the amount
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bore — to drill
  12. drill — army training
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. firm — decided
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. firm — a company
  17. bore — to tire
  18. chair — a leader
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. spell — magic
  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