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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · wake · present · stock · chair · lie · nail · key

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. drill — a practice
  5. key — for a lock
  6. present — the time now
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. drill — the tool
  9. key — the most important part
  10. present — a gift
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. present — there
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. key — in music
  20. stock — goods
  21. wake — a trail
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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