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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 120 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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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: arm · kick · ruler · chip · straw · drill · nail · prune

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chip — to eat
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chip — for betting
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. drill — army training
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. kick — in football
  16. drill — the tool
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kick — a thrill

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