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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.

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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: nail · present · spring · content · bore · mug · racket · hand

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. spring — the season
  4. hand — help
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. content — the amount
  8. mug — to rob
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mug — a face
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mug — a cup
  22. present — the time now
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. content — happy

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