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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. board — a committee
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. file — a document
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. board — to get on
  12. file — a tool
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. ball — a dance
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mine — for digging
  17. ball — a great time
  18. drill — army training
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. key — in music
  22. kick — in football
  23. key — for a lock
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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