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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.

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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: swing · bowl · last · content · stick · drill · mug · nail

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. last — to go on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. drill — army training
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. drill — a practice
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mug — a cup
  13. last — finally
  14. content — the amount
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. drill — the tool
  17. swing — music
  18. mug — a face
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. content — happy
  24. bowl — to roll

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