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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 · bore · press · rash · rush · tear · land · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bore — to tire
  5. drill — army training
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. land — ground
  8. tear — to rip
  9. press — to push
  10. tear — from crying
  11. land — a country
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. drill — a practice
  15. land — to come down
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bore — to drill
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rash — hasty
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rash — a series
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rush — a thrill

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