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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. spell — letters
  4. drill — the tool
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bound — certain
  7. content — the amount
  8. lie — to recline
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mug — to rob
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bulb — for light
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mug — a face
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  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