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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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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 · nail · row · fine · content · drill · bound · stem

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bound — obliged
  6. content — happy
  7. row — to paddle
  8. fine — high quality
  9. drill — the tool
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. drill — a practice
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bound — certain
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fine — all right
  17. content — the amount
  18. bound — tied together
  19. drill — army training
  20. row — a line
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. deal — a big deal

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