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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: club · deal · nail · drill · lie · clip · chest · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. lie — to recline
  4. drill — a practice
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chest — of your body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. clip — a video
  11. drill — the tool
  12. clip — for paper
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. chest — of your body
  16. deal — to handle
  17. chest — a box
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. drill — army training
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. clip — to cut
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. deal — an agreement

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