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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · snap · board · club · squash · drill · lie · ruler

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lie — to recline
  3. club — for dancing
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. club — a group
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. board — to get on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. board — a committee
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. drill — a practice
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. drill — army training
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. squash — to crush
  22. club — for golf
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. nail — for a hammer

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