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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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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: nail · plane · drill · hide · race · fork · last · rule

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. last — finally
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. last — to go on
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fork — in a road
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. race — a contest
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. last — final
  15. race — the arms race
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rule — a law
  18. race — humankind
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rule — government
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. plane — a tool

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