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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: nail · temple · mug · cap · spell · content · row · bass

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. row — to paddle
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spell — letters
  5. mug — a face
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bass — low music
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. content — the amount
  12. row — a line
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cap — of ice
  15. spell — a short time
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cap — a lid
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. content — happy
  20. spell — magic
  21. mug — a cup
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. nail — on a finger

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