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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: saw · club · lie · rush · nail · deal · drill · charge

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. saw — the tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. club — a group
  9. charge — a price
  10. saw — the tool
  11. deal — to handle
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. club — for golf
  18. drill — army training
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. drill — the tool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. club — for dancing

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