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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lie — to recline
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. row — to paddle
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. club — for dancing

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