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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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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: squash · mug · fall · lean · nail · drill · ground · game

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. ground — a position
  3. game — wild animals
  4. lean — thin
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fall — to drop
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mug — to rob
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. drill — the tool
  17. game — a match
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mug — a face
  21. drill — army training
  22. fall — the season
  23. mug — a cup
  24. nail — on a finger

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