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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · content · wound · bear · squash · march · nail · mine

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. content — the amount
  3. march — the month
  4. content — happy
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wound — an injury
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. march — music
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bear — the animal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. march — the month
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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