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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: rash · present · drill · lie · ball · nail · patient · firm

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. firm — a company
  3. present — a gift
  4. lie — to recline
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rash — hasty
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. present — there
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. firm — decided
  14. drill — army training
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rash — a series
  17. ball — a dance
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. present — the time now
  22. firm — steady
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. lie — an untruth

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