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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 120 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: bank · lie · row · shower · bat · cabinet · rock · nail

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. shower — rain
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. shower — to wash
  6. row — a line
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bank — for money
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. rock — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. row — to paddle
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bat — the animal
  23. lie — to recline
  24. nail — on a finger

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