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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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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 · ruler · band · rock · land · toast · firm · chest

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. firm — steady
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. land — ground
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a ring
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. firm — decided
  10. rock — music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. chest — a box
  16. toast — bread
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. chest — of your body
  19. band — a music group
  20. rock — a stone
  21. firm — a company
  22. chest — of your body
  23. land — a country
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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