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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: can · drill · deal · last · fall · arm · nail · net

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. can — to be able to
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fall — the season
  8. last — to go on
  9. net — for catching
  10. last — final
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. last — finally
  13. drill — a practice
  14. net — in sport
  15. drill — the tool
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — after costs
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fall — to drop
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. can — a tin
  23. drill — army training
  24. fall — to drop

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