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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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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 · ruler · file · charge · kid · chest · drill · key

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. file — a tool
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chest — a box
  5. kid — child
  6. drill — the tool
  7. charge — a price
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kid — to tease
  10. key — in music
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chest — of your body
  15. drill — a practice
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. file — a line of people
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. charge — electricity
  20. drill — army training
  21. file — a document
  22. chest — of your body
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. key — the most important part

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