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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 · mate · stand · drill · nail · rule · ground · roll

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rule — a law
  5. ground — a position
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. roll — a cake
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mate — a partner
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mate — to breed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. drill — army training
  14. mate — a friend
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. ground — crushed
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. drill — a practice
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. roll — a list
  23. drill — the tool
  24. nail — on a finger

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