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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
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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: stem · mark · swing · drill · row · bay · mug · nail

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. drill — a practice
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — a face
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mark — a grade
  10. row — a line
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. swing — music
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mug — to rob
  21. stem — to come from
  22. drill — army training
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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