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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: coach · file · chest · drill · last · wind · ruler · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. file — a document
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chest — a box
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. drill — the tool
  11. last — to go on
  12. file — a tool
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. chest — of your body
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. chest — of your body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. last — final
  22. wind — moving air
  23. file — a line of people
  24. last — finally

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