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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: snap · scale · ruler · drill · nail · cell · spring · mug

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mug — a cup
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. scale — size or range
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cell — in biology
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. drill — the tool
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spring — the season
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. spring — of water
  16. mug — to rob
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cell — a phone
  20. spring — a coil
  21. snap — to click
  22. mug — a face
  23. drill — army training
  24. cell — in a prison

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