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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: content · roll · saw · pass · swing · hand · nail · dip

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. roll — a list
  11. swing — music
  12. dip — to sink
  13. swing — in golf
  14. roll — a cake
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. swing — to play on
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. saw — the tool

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