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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: nail · mate · row · rest · spell · drill · scale · root

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. root — the cause
  3. row — a line
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spell — letters
  8. drill — the tool
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mate — to breed
  11. spell — magic
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rest — a break
  14. spell — a short time
  15. root — of a word
  16. drill — a practice
  17. root — of a plant
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. scale — in music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. drill — army training

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