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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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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: key · mark · mine · fall · nail · firm · chest · ruler

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fall — to drop
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fall — the season
  6. firm — a company
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mark — a grade
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mark — a trace
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. firm — decided
  21. chest — of your body
  22. key — in music
  23. chest — a box
  24. firm — steady

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