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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: dip · nail · firm · hand · spell · bowl · drill · land

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. dip — to sink
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. drill — army training
  8. hand — in cards
  9. land — a country
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. land — ground
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. land — to come down
  16. drill — the tool
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. spell — magic
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. drill — a practice

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