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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 · rash · drill · ruler · prune · content · vault · face

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rash — a series
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. face — to point toward
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. face — part of the head
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. prune — to trim
  16. drill — a practice
  17. face — to confront
  18. rash — hasty
  19. prune — to trim
  20. vault — a safe
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. drill — army training
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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