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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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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: lean · drill · tear · chip · last · nail · stock · stick

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. last — to go on
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tear — from crying
  7. last — final
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stock — shares
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. lean — thin
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. drill — army training
  17. tear — to rip
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stock — goods
  23. tear — from crying
  24. last — finally

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