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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: fall · nail · stick · leaves · prune · drill · wound · net

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. drill — the tool
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. drill — army training
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fall — the season
  12. drill — a practice
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fall — to drop
  15. prune — to trim
  16. net — after costs
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wound — an injury
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fall — to drop

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