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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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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: row · can · nail · face · chest · hand · lie · track

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. lie — to recline
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chest — a box
  6. row — to paddle
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — in cards
  10. can — a tin
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. hand — help
  14. face — to point toward
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. track — a song
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. chest — of your body
  21. track — a path
  22. face — part of the head
  23. track — to keep track
  24. face — to confront

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