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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cue — for pool
  5. board — to get on
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. lean — to bend
  9. row — to paddle
  10. board — a committee
  11. rock — a stone
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rock — music
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — thin
  19. bass — low music
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. row — a line
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. lean — to rest against

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