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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · mouse · bowl · wound · spell · nail · drill · mate

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. spell — letters
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. spell — magic
  15. content — the amount
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. spell — a short time
  18. drill — army training
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. mate — to breed
  24. drill — 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