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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 116 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: drill · rash · clip · board · lie · kick · cap · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lie — to recline
  3. clip — to cut
  4. rash — a series
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. clip — a video
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. drill — army training
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cap — a hat
  16. board — to get on
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cap — a lid
  22. drill — a practice
  23. board — a committee
  24. rash — on the skin

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