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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 120 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: squash · fall · fine · file · drill · pound · nail · suit

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. drill — a practice
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. file — a line of people
  8. fine — all right
  9. suit — to fit
  10. squash — the sport
  11. file — a document
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. file — a tool
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fall — the season
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. suit — in cards
  19. drill — the tool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. squash — to crush
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pound — a weight
  24. drill — army training

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