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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: land · nail · net · drill · prune · lash · mine · rock

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rock — a stone
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rock — music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. land — to come down
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. land — ground
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. mine — for digging
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — the tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. drill — a practice
  22. prune — to trim
  23. net — after costs
  24. land — a country

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