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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: nail · mouse · hand · drill · trunk · ruler · rash · fan

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. hand — in cards
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. drill — the tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rash — a series
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. drill — army training
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. hand — help

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