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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 · hide · cell · bass · drill · stand · object · racket

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. object — an aim
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bass — low music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cell — in biology
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cell — a phone
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — a thing
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. drill — the tool
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. drill — army training
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bass — the fish

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