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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: mug · squash · kick · drill · stick · racket · nail · fan

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. drill — the tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — a practice
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mug — to rob
  13. squash — to crush
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. kick — in football
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mug — a face
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. squash — the sport
  23. nail — on a finger
  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