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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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Word bank
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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: mark · drill · craft · mine · nail · rock · last · straw

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mark — a trace
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. craft — boats
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. last — to go on
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. last — final
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. last — finally
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rock — music
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mine — for digging

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