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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: drill · rule · cap · board · nail · game · sharp · spell

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. drill — army training
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. drill — the tool
  8. game — a match
  9. drill — a practice
  10. sharp — clever
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rule — government
  13. spell — a short time
  14. game — wild animals
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. board — to get on
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. board — a committee
  19. cap — a lid
  20. spell — letters
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rule — a law
  23. spell — magic
  24. sharp — with an edge

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