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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 120 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: nail · foot · spring · land · sharp · ruler · drill · object

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. drill — a practice
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. land — to come down
  6. drill — the tool
  7. spring — of water
  8. drill — army training
  9. spring — a coil
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. object — to protest
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. spring — the season
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. land — a country
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. sharp — clever
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. foot — a measure
  23. land — ground
  24. nail — on a finger

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