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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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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: safe · land · court · drill · plane · kid · nail · ruler

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. plane — a tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. drill — the tool
  5. kid — child
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. land — a country
  10. kid — to tease
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. land — to come down
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. court — of a king
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. court — of law
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. court — for sport
  21. drill — a practice
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. drill — army training
  24. land — ground

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