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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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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: mug · nail · tear · hand · pit · ruler · club · fall

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mug — to rob
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. tear — from crying
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mug — a face
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pit — a hole
  23. hand — help
  24. mug — a cup

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