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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 116 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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bound — tied together
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. deal — to handle
  5. content — the amount
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bound — obliged
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. drill — army training
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bound — certain
  15. prune — to trim
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. prune — to trim
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. content — happy
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rock — music
  22. spring — the season
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. drill — the tool

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