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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: pound · fine · shower · wind · rest · nail · drill · mug

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. shower — rain
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rest — a break
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rest — what's left
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mug — to rob
  18. fine — all right
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mug — a face

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