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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: drill · nail · wind · rule · temple · jam · chip · object

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rule — a law
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rule — government
  10. chip — for betting
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. object — a thing
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. object — an aim
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. drill — the tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. object — to protest
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. drill — army training

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