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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fork · board · row · net · squash · lie · wake · nail

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. net — after costs
  5. board — a committee
  6. net — in sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. net — for catching
  14. row — a line
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. squash — the sport
  18. board — to get on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. row — to paddle
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — in a road

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