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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: rock · hide · stock · content · calf · drill · tube · spell

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. tube — a container
  3. spell — magic
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stock — shares
  7. content — happy
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. content — the amount
  12. tube — the underground
  13. spell — letters
  14. stock — goods
  15. rock — a stone
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rock — music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. drill — army training
  24. hide — to keep secret

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