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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: rock · fan · kid · tear · drill · cap · nail · pop

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rock — a stone
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. drill — a practice
  7. kid — child
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. drill — army training
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pop — music
  12. tear — to rip
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. tear — from crying
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. tear — from crying

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