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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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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: row · dip · nail · rush · mark · fall · content · press

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rush — hurry
  5. dip — to sink
  6. content — the amount
  7. mark — a trace
  8. fall — the season
  9. content — happy
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. row — a line
  24. press — a publisher

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