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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 · racket · cabinet · tear · chip · drill · wake · ruler

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tear — from crying
  5. drill — a practice
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wake — a trail
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. drill — army training
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. tear — to rip
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. drill — the tool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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