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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: march · press · row · nail · board · pit · temple · lie

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. press — a publisher
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pit — a hole
  5. march — the month
  6. board — a committee
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. lie — to recline
  11. row — a line
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. press — to push
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. march — music
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pit — in a race
  22. press — newspapers
  23. march — the month
  24. temple — side of the head

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