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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: nail · kid · mug · ruler · scale · object · lie · drill

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kid — child
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mug — to rob
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mug — a cup
  13. lie — to recline
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mug — a face
  16. object — a thing
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kid — to tease
  20. drill — army training
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. drill — a practice
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. scale — in music

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