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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.

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: nail · scale · row · hide · drill · board · snap · rock

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. snap — to click
  6. board — a committee
  7. rock — a stone
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rock — music
  10. drill — army training
  11. row — a line
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. drill — a practice
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. board — to get on
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. scale — in music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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