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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: mine · staff · ruler · last · drill · stock · wound · squash

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. drill — army training
  9. stock — shares
  10. drill — the tool
  11. last — to go on
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stock — goods
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wound — an injury
  19. staff — employees
  20. last — finally
  21. staff — employees
  22. last — final
  23. squash — to crush
  24. staff — a stick

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