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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · fine · lie · leaves · tear · rock · drill · bat

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. drill — a practice
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rock — a stone
  7. drill — the tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tear — from crying
  10. drill — army training
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rock — music
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. tear — to rip
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bat — the animal

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