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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: bulb · stem · roll · content · nail · drill · wind · deal

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wind — moving air
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. roll — a cake
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bulb — for light
  12. content — happy
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. roll — a list
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. drill — army training
  17. stem — to come from
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wind — moving air
  21. content — the amount
  22. deal — to handle
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. nail — for a hammer

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