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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: nail · toast · rock · mine · row · firm · board · fan

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mine — for digging
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. firm — decided
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. row — a line
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. firm — steady
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. board — to get on
  15. toast — bread
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. firm — a company
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. board — a committee
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mine — belonging to me

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