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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 120 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 · kick · drill · branch · rest · net · fork · ruler

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rest — what's left
  3. drill — army training
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. net — for catching
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. drill — a practice
  12. net — after costs
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rest — a break
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fork — in a road
  24. net — in sport

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