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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: nail · board · spell · drill · bark · stick · lie · staff

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. staff — employees
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. drill — the tool
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. board — a committee
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bark — to shout
  14. spell — a short time
  15. drill — army training
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. staff — employees
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. staff — a stick
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. board — to get on

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