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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: fork · kick · track · straw · nail · pass · ground · drill

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. drill — a practice
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. drill — the tool
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pass — a permit
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ground — crushed
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. ground — a position
  15. drill — army training
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. nail — for a hammer

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