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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cell · drill · content · current · lash · spell · pitcher · bear

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. current — happening now
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. spell — letters
  6. cell — in biology
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bear — the animal
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. drill — army training
  13. content — the amount
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. content — happy
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cell — a phone
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. spell — magic
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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