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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 120 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: clip · rock · ball · nail · bore · stick · rush · row

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. row — to paddle
  3. ball — a great time
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ball — a dance
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. row — a line
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rock — music
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bore — to tire
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rush — hurry
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bore — to drill
  22. clip — a video
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. stick — to attach or keep 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