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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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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: wave · row · board · lie · object · trunk · hand · ground

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. object — an aim
  7. hand — help
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. object — to protest
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. ground — the earth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lie — to recline
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. board — to get on
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. object — a thing
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. row — a line
  24. wave — with your hand

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