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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: pop · nail · rush · board · dip · last · row · lie

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pop — to visit
  3. last — finally
  4. row — to paddle
  5. board — to get on
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. last — final
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pop — music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. board — a committee
  18. last — to go on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pop — soda
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lie — an untruth

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