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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: lie · nail · degree · wind · board · firm · march · toast

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. degree — from a university
  3. firm — a company
  4. toast — bread
  5. wind — moving air
  6. march — music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. degree — an amount
  9. wind — moving air
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. board — to get on
  13. firm — steady
  14. march — the month
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. degree — temperature
  23. firm — decided
  24. board — a committee

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