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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · snap · board · shower · row · press · lie · mine

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mine — for digging
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. lie — to recline
  5. track — a song
  6. press — newspapers
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. row — to paddle
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. board — a committee
  13. shower — to wash
  14. track — a path
  15. row — a line
  16. board — to get on
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. press — a publisher
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. shower — rain
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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