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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: game · foot · dip · nail · lash · stock · rash · drill

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rash — a series
  4. drill — army training
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stock — goods
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. drill — the tool
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. game — wild animals
  15. drill — a practice
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rash — hasty
  22. stock — shares
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. game — a match

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