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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · chair · drill · can · capital · nail · temple · bore

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. drill — army training
  3. can — a tin
  4. drill — the tool
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. capital — a city
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. capital — money
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. can — a tin
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bore — to tire
  17. can — to be able to
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bore — to drill
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. drill — a practice

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