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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 · board · degree · lie · pound · dip · row · track

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. dip — to sink
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. track — to keep track
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. degree — from a university
  9. board — a committee
  10. row — a line
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. degree — an amount
  13. lie — to recline
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. row — to paddle
  17. board — to get on
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. pound — a weight
  22. degree — temperature
  23. board — a flat piece
  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