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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: roll · saw · cold · content · calf · can · drill · racket

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. roll — a list
  3. can — to be able to
  4. drill — army training
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cold — an illness
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. can — a tin
  11. drill — a practice
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. content — the amount
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. can — a tin
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. content — happy
  23. cold — not warm
  24. calf — a young animal

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