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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: content · fine · drill · bound · spring · rock · race · trunk

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spring — a coil
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. spring — the season
  6. bound — obliged
  7. race — the arms race
  8. drill — the tool
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. race — humankind
  11. content — the amount
  12. bound — certain
  13. drill — a practice
  14. spring — of water
  15. drill — army training
  16. race — a contest
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fine — high quality
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rock — music
  22. fine — all right
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. content — happy

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