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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.

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: drill · lash · content · stem · row · spring · nail · wound

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. drill — the tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. content — the amount
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. row — to paddle
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stem — to come from
  11. spring — a coil
  12. drill — army training
  13. wound — an injury
  14. row — a line
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. spring — of water
  17. drill — a practice
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. spring — the season
  21. content — happy
  22. wound — an injury
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. row — a quarrel

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