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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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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: deal · staff · fall · present · nail · spring · bay · content

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. spring — of water
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. present — there
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. staff — employees
  9. present — a gift
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fall — to drop
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fall — the season
  17. staff — employees
  18. fall — to drop
  19. present — the time now
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. content — happy
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. spring — the season

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