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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: wind · nail · can · firm · chest · present · ground · row

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. chest — of your body
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chest — a box
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. firm — steady
  8. chest — of your body
  9. present — there
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wind — moving air
  12. present — a gift
  13. row — a line
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. can — a tin
  16. ground — a position
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. firm — a company
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ground — crushed
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. can — a tin
  23. present — the time now
  24. can — to be able to

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