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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: current · fork · nail · scale · bay · lie · row · wind

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wind — moving air
  3. current — electric
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fork — in a road
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. current — of water
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wind — moving air
  13. scale — in music
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. current — happening now
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. row — a line
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lie — to recline

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