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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.

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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: board · rest · hand · drill · wind · safe · lie · nail

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. drill — army training
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wind — moving air
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rest — a break
  19. board — to get on
  20. hand — in cards
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. board — a committee
  24. hand — help

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