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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rock — music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. press — to push
  12. shower — to wash
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lie — to recline
  15. press — a publisher
  16. game — a match
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. shower — rain
  20. rock — a stone
  21. row — a line
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fork — to eat with

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