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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: tear · mug · club · foot · bass · fan · nail · drill

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mug — a face
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. foot — a measure
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bass — low music
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. tear — from crying
  18. drill — army training
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bass — the fish
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tear — to rip
  24. mug — a cup

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