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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: saw · content · current · land · deal · snap · spell · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. current — of water
  5. deal — to handle
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. land — a country
  9. spell — magic
  10. land — to come down
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. land — ground
  17. content — happy
  18. spell — letters
  19. snap — to click
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. drill — army training
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spell — a short time
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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