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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rule — a law
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rule — government
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. spell — letters
  11. cap — a lid
  12. kid — child
  13. spell — a short time
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cap — a hat
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. drill — a practice
  23. plane — a tool
  24. spell — magic

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